In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, vocalist Kyle Thomas of thrash and groove trailblazers EXHORDER was asked about a possible follow-up to the band's fourth full-length album, "Defectum Omnium", which came out in March 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. The 55-year-old New Orleans-based singer, who also fronts doom metal legends TROUBLE, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET) "At the moment, I'm kind of in the middle of recording a new TROUBLE album. I gotta get back on to it and get busy with it again. We're planning on releasing that next year and doing some touring. But EXHORDER is back in the mindset of, okay, in March it'll be two years since this album was released. Touring cycles for albums are typically a two-year run now instead of a one-year run like it used to be. So we're feeling that, okay, now it's time. The good news is, is we've fulfilled our contractual obligation to our label. But we've already talked with them about, 'Well, if y'all wanna work again, let's talk.' So I have no concern of whether or not we're gonna have a record deal. It's just a matter of how it's gonna happen and when. We have just really kind of gotten started on the content for that next album. I've got probably fewer cohesive ideas than [bassist] Jason [VieBrooks] does. Jason's got probably four to six structures and skeletons of songs that will eventually be songs, and he's recorded four of those with [drummer] Sasha [Horn], just to kind of see what's gonna work and what's not — just pre-production, normal pre-production. My stuff's a lot more jumbled. I've got so many videos of riffs — a lot of good stuff, and I know a lot of it's probably not gonna make it to the album, but I haven't had the time really to focus on it that Jason has, and I'm okay with it because Jason, musically, has been the one carrying the weight on his shoulders, as far as coming up with songs for last couple of albums. So I'm happy that he's good at that and enjoys doing it because it takes a lot of responsibility and burden off of me if I'm not able to get to it soon enough. So it doesn't matter to me if this time I only have two songs instead of four that made it to the album. And now that we've got [former CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist] Pat [O'Brien] interested [in contributing to the songwriting], say Pat's got two of 'em. Let's say Pat's got two or three of 'em, I got two or three of 'em, and Jason's got four or five of 'em, already we've got more songs than we need."

Asked if it feels realistic that fans will get a new album from EXHORDER in 2026 or more likely 2027, Kyle said: "I'm gonna say 2027. We don't wanna ever be in a rush."

Featuring 12 tracks and ominous cover artwork by Travis Smith (KATATONIA, OPETH),"Defectum Omnium" followed EXHORDER's critically revered 2019 release "Mourn The Southern Skies".

"Defectum Omnium" was recorded in part at Fat Track Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio with engineer Rob Nadler. The LP marked EXHORDER's first with O'Brien, who made his live debut with the group at the 2022 Maryland Deathfest.

The Maryland Deathfest gig took place three months after guitarist Marzi Montazeri left EXHORDER, explaining at the time in a statement that he "decided to no longer be a part of it."

Shortly after the Houston-based Montazeri announced his departure from EXHORDER, the remaining members of the band — Thomas, VieBrooks and Horn — said that they and Marzi had been "moving in different directions" and assured fans that they would "continue to thrive"

Thomas is now the sole remaining founding member of EXHORDER, which released its debut album, "Slaughter In The Vatican", way back in 1990. In February 2020, EXHORDER parted ways with its original guitarist Vinnie LaBella, who wrote much of the material on "Mourn The Southern Skies". The remaining members of the group later issued a statement saying that they would fulfill their "touring and recording obligations for 2020 and beyond."

EXHORDER released two albums in the early 1990s through the Roadrunner label — the aforementioned "Slaughter In The Vatican" and 1992's "The Law" — before breaking up, with Kyle going on to form FLOODGATE and also briefly appearing live as the vocalist for TROUBLE, which he later joined on a full-time basis (and is still a member of).

EXHORDER, which is cited by many as the originator of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA, completed a U.S. headlining tour in late 2021 during which it performed "Slaughter In The Vatican" in its entirety.

Photo credit: Erik Hernandez (courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records)

In a new interview with Luisina Reynoso of Argentina's Cuero Y Metal, DARK TRANQUILLITY and THE HALO EFECT frontman Mikael Stanne spoke about the recent passing of AT THE GATES vocalist Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg. Asked what Lindberg meant to the metal scene in Gothenburg, Sweden, Stanne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We kind of grew up in the same part of town; he was a very close neighbor to me. And he was two years older, and he had a lot of experience. He started in the metal scene early. He had a fanzine. He had a band when he was 15. And he was just such a dedicated and passionate music fan, and it was really contagious. The way that he spoke about music and the way that he thought about music and kind of lived through music was infectious. Everybody around him kind of started to feel the same way, and he loved to kind of spread the music that he loved. So we spent a lot of time just at home in his room listening to demos and cassettes and live tapes and things that he got through his fanzine or that he would collect or buy from all over the world. And I was a collector as well, and we bonded over that."

Stanne continued: "He had GROTESQUE, his first band, and it was this insane black metal band. And I went to see them all the time. And I couldn't believe it because he was such a nice, gentle, very courteous and well-mannered, soft-spoken guy, but on stage he was an absolute beast. And it was pentagrams and inverted crosses and blood and skulls and shit, and it was the coolest thing in the world. And I was 15, 16, as I went to these shows, and it was the coolest thing in the world. And, of course, once AT THE GATES started, that inspired us a lot, but I think in general he was kind of the hub that we all gathered around. The metal community was small but very, very passionate at the time."

Stanne added: "There was this bus line that went from the suburb where we lived to the city, and me and Tompa got on the first stop, then the next stop was Anders Fridén and the other guys from DARK TRANQUILLITY. Two more stops and there was the guys from TIAMAT and Peter Iwers from IN FLAMES. And two more stops was Anders and Jonas [Björler] from AT THE GATES. And then we were in town. And then we would sit in a park with a tape recorder and listen to music and drink beer, basically. That's how we grew up and how we all became friends and how this scene kind of started and how the Gothenburg metal scene started to come alive. And he was the kind of hub that brought people together because his passion and his kind of serious… He took it very seriously. This music should be serious, even though it was all about very random stuff, like anything from grisly death metal, like AUTOPSY or political punk or whatever, he was into it and he took it seriously. And so did we, because of him. And he started working at the local record store and he would always recommend stuff. And then I started working there as well. And it was just one of those things that he inspired and encouraged. And, of course, we always went to their rehearsal room, and then we had rehearsal rooms next to each other for years, so we were hanging out in each other's rooms and talk about music, listen to whatever new songs, they were cooking and while we were writing. And it was the same for all the bands in Gothenburg. And then, of course, the way that he was on stage and the way he sang was also for me, as a wannabe singer at the time, that's everything I wanted. Even though at the time it was just black metal, but it was deadly serious, and it was incredible to see how into it he was, and that inspired me to become a vocalist as well. And then, of course, in the last 20 years or so, it's been something else. We've just been friends going to shows together and going out to drink together and hanging out, but he's always been an incredibly important part of the Swedish metal scene, because he everybody knows him and he knows everybody. It's that simple."

Referencing the fact that Tomas died after being diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC),a rare, slow-growing but aggressive cancer that typically develops in the salivary glands, particularly the minor salivary glands of the head and neck, Mikael said: "Of course I've known that he was sick for years, or a year and a half, and so it's been really difficult to kind of live with that and knowing that the worst might happen. But we always kind of remained very hopeful and positive up until the end. So, yeah, it's been really difficult, but, fortunately, all of his friends are also my friends, of course. And so it's been a good community to kind of talk to and hang out with them. We have a lot of kind of gatherings planned that we can just sit and talk about him and kind of remember the good stuff."

Stanne previously spoke about Lindberg this past September in an interview with Chile's PowerOfMetal.cl. Mikael said at the time: "I met [Tomas] when I was 14. I went with a friend to their rehearsal room in the basement of Kristian Wåhlin, [also known as] Necrolord, who's the cover painter for [DARK TRANQUILLITY's] 'The Gallery' [album], for instance. And they were rehearsing with GROTESQUE that later became [AT THE GATES], or before [they formed] AT THE GATES. And it blew me away. I saw a band that played music live in a basement. And I'd never seen that before. And it was crazy, insane black metal stuff. And I was so inspired by it and kind of awestruck by it. And so we started hanging out, and Tomas showed me tons of music that he had found through his fanzine and through his kind of tape-trading and record collecting. And yeah, we became instant friends, and [we'd been friends] since then."

Mikael continued: "More than anything, I think Tompa really inspired the scene, because he was kind of that central figure for everything that kind of went on in Gothenburg at the time. He was so passionate about it, and he was so into it, and he knew every band, and he knew about everything that was going on in the scene. So, if you needed anything, if you had any questions or you wanted to know something, or you wanted to kind of be inspired, you just go to him. And he was always there. So without him, there would be no Gothenburg death metal scene; that's just a fact. [With] his kind of integrity, he took this music very incredibly serious. And when I kind of discovered extreme metal through bands like KREATOR and CANNIBAL CORPSE, whatever it was, I was kind of, like, 'I don't know what this is. I love it, but I don't know if it's serious or not.' But he showed me that, 'No. Come on. This is serious.' There are some bands that take this very seriously, and there are lyrics that matter. It's not just horror movie stuff. And so when I started writing, I wanted it to matter and be serious and with serious issues or problems or what have you. And it's because of how he showed me what music could and should be. So, yeah, without him there would be no [Gothenburg] death metal scene. So we're eternally grateful. And I miss him like crazy."

Speaking about Tomas's death, Mikael said: "It's been a horrible two years knowing that he was struggling and kind of battling this disease. And everybody thought, of course, 'Yeah, it's gonna be fine. [He's] gonna power through [it].' But a couple months ago we realized that it's worse than we thought. And now this happened. And, yeah, it's devastating."

Lindberg received the diagnosis in December 2023, which led to a major surgery that removed a large portion of the roof of his mouth. He had also undergone radiation treatment and had been on a path to recovery, but then doctors found traces of the cancer in early 2025. In May 2025, an undisclosed "setback" placed Tomas in long-term care.

AT THE GATES released its definitive album, "Slaughter Of The Soul" — often regarded as one of the all-time greatest metal albums — on Earache in 1995, before touring the world and abruptly disbanding. Members of the band went on to play major roles in other notorious metal acts such as THE HAUNTED and CRADLE OF FILTH, before reforming in 2008, with Lindberg juggling his day job as a teacher with being a death metal frontman.

AT THE GATES' latest studio album, "The Nightmare Of Being", came out in 2021.

Lindberg revealed in a statement earlier this year that AT THE GATES recorded a new album before he underwent mouth surgery.

"The last version of the vocals, the ones that will end up on the album, were recorded in ONE day, mostly one takes, the DAY before the surgery, just to make sure we HAD the album, so to speak," the statement said. "So the vocals were actually recorded BEFORE the rest of the album.... a bit different, but it felt good to have it done."

In a new interview with NINE:32 | Music Magazine, Mr. Lordi of the Finnish hard rock band LORDI, whose members never appear without their elaborate ghoulish skeleton and zombie masks and makeup, spoke about the importance of sticking to his guns when it comes to the songwriting process. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Yeah. 'cause the main thing is that because everything that comes out under the name of LORDI is true and genuine. That's what it is, because everything that I write, I write it for the smallest fucking target audience in the world, which is one person, which is myself. And everything I'm doing, whether it's music or the visuals or anything, it's just to please myself. And if anybody else likes it, it's a plus."

Asked if he is influenced by any modern rock artists, Mr. Lordi said: "No, no. I've gotta be honest. No. I mean, no — there's no modern artist that [I was influenced by]. I couldn't even name any fucking names. I don't know any bands or artists of today. I feel like an old geezer, but that's how it is. I'm soon 52, and I guess by the time I was, like, fucking 25, that's when my welcome center closed its doors and nothing new had come in."

LORDI's 19th studio album, "Limited Deadition", was released on March 21 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).

Known for their theatrical style and unique blend of 1980s-inspired rock and heavy metal, LORDI's latest creation is a nostalgic celebration of retro '80s toys, infused with a fresh and powerful energy. Building on the success of their 2023 album "Screem Writers Guild", "Limited Deadition" ventures into heavier riffs and faster tempos, creating a soundscape that is both familiar and invigorating.

Recorded at IluSound Studio and Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, "Limited Deadition" was produced by Mr. Lordi, mixed by Ilkka Herkman and mastered by Pauli Saastamoinen. As always, Mr. Lordi took charge of the album's striking artwork and layout, channeling his passion for '80s memorabilia into every detail.

The thematic heart of "Limited Deadition" lies in Mr. Lordi's lifelong obsession with collecting, inspired by the action figures and toys of his childhood.

The album opens with "SCG XIX The Hexecutioners", setting the stage for an exciting blend of cinematic and melodic heavy rock. Tracks like "Legends Are Made Of Clichés" and "Skelephant In The Room" highlight LORDI's knack for creating larger-than-life anthems. Meanwhile, the poignant ballad "Collectable" reflects on the fleeting value of physical objects in a digital world, while the title track, "Limited Deadition", makes a bold statement celebrating collectors and their passion.

Earlier this year, Mr. Lordi was asked by Metal Covenant how he personally has been affected by how the music industry has changed over the last couple of decades. He responded: "Well, digitalization is the root of all evil. You know, it started slowly, but when it hit over the music business, it hit hard. And the music business wasn't ready. And I still feel grudge against that. You know, if I get angry at something, I will never recover from that. I will never forgive. I mean, there are so many levels on this shit.

"I think that the whole streaming of music, the whole not paying the artists that is there, the whole downfall of the physical albums, all that, it's just because of fucking digitalization and Internet, and then later on social media," he continued. "And I refuse to be part of that. I have to be, but in my personal life I'm not. I have never, for example, been on social media, for a second in my life. I've never had Facebook. Never been on Facebook, never been on Instagram, never been on any of that shit, and I will never fucking do it. I don't even read my fucking e-mails, unless somebody calls me and tells me that, 'Hey. You have an e-mail. Go read your e-mails.' And all my bills still come on paper to me. I pay extra for the companies to send me paper bills."

Brian "Head" Welch, co-founder of the nu metal band KORN who left the group in 2005 after becoming a Christian amid his struggle with drug addiction, only to rejoin KORN eight years later, took to his social media earlier today (Sunday, November 2) to share a two-minute video dubbed "Religious people will pile guilt on you, I've seen it countless times… But Christ is different". In the clip, which can be seen below, Welch said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Religion versus relationship. Religion and religious people will pile on you — loads and loads of guilt. They tower over you with their self-righteousness to make you feel that you are way beneath them in order to keep you in that spirit of control over your life. I've seen it countless times. It's a cancer to spirituality and chases so many people away from even the thought of a relationship with Christ. Now, Christ, on the other hand, is a real heart-to-heart relationship. It's your heart connected spiritually in union with Christ's heart. He leads you to himself by kindness while acknowledging your flaws. He will definitely ask by leading you spiritually to lay down some things in order to take away the fun in your life. It's never about taking the fun away in your life. It's about getting the things in your life out, completely out of your life, so that you can have a healthier form of existence on this planet. It's never about taking things away from you so that you have a more boring life. But he leads you by kindness, he leads you to acknowledge your flaws, and then he empowers you to lay those flaws down."

Welch continued: "That's the whole thing. We don't have to do it in our own strength. Christ empowers us, through his spirit, to live a better life, to live a healthier life. And that's what grace is — it's the empowerment of God through the spirit that gives us the ability to do this.

"Religion is corrupting this world; it has been for countless centuries," Brian added. "But there there is a lot of people waking up to the true fact of relationship, especially in the last, like, 20 years. I just see so many people latch on to the real, to the real.

"So, just my little two cents today. Hope you guys are having a good weekend."

This past April, Welch was asked by the Stand Up Dude podcast to name one reminder that he would give men, especially young men, out there that would enable them to be the men that they're created to be. Welch said: "I think just developing and actually spending time to develop a relationship with Christ one on one. That has been the pivotal piece of my journey. Going to church and praying before you go to bed during the week, going to church on Sunday, it's not enough, in my opinion, for what Jesus died for. He wants to lead and guide you, and he wants you to talk to him. It is a mystery, and we're getting guided, but we sometimes miss it. And that chasing and that trying to hear his voice or his messages, his signs, trying to see his signs and wonders of what we're supposed to do, where we're supposed to go, is the most important thing."

He added: "Church is supposed to be the gas station to fill us up for the rest of the week. We're supposed to read books, listen to books, listen to messages, podcasts. There's so much information out there to help you grow. And so develop that personal daily walk with Christ."

Welch went on to say that opening one's heart to receive God's love is a transformative experience.

"What's God's message in the Bible? It's love. Love. Over and over — love, love, love," he said. "And as guys, it's hard for us, 'cause we think, when we find a woman, we love them, we date them, we hopefully marry them and we open our heart to 'em. It's harder for sometimes guys, for the concept to open our heart to God. But we've gotta remember, Jesus, he walked the earth as a man, but he's more than that. He's the son of God where male and female came from God. He's other than. So we just need to open our heart to learn how to receive his love as a God and give that love back to him.

"When I came to the place where I was ready to open up my heart to God, I didn't necessarily know as opening my heart, but I was begging for help because I was in such a dark place where I wanted my life to be over," he continued. "I wanted to sleep and never wake up. And so I got to that place where I was, like, 'Please, help me.' And that opened my heart a little bit. And then once I started going to church, learning what the Bible was saying, that's when I found out that God is love. It says God actually is love. Not that just God loves us, that he is love. So his very nature is love. And so being a tough guy or trying to portray a tough guy all the time with the heavy metal music and all that, I slowly, by the Holy Spirit's help, started to learn to be able to open my heart. And then I wanted this love, because I did so many drugs and drank so much alcohol over the years that it was like I wanted to escape. And meeting God and learning that God is love, it started to fill that place, the empty place in me that the drugs and the alcohol were trying to fill. And so it was like — sometimes I describe it as the best high I ever felt. It was God's love entering, when I opened my heart. And so it's done spiritually."

Welch left KORN in early 2005, at the same time announcing that he kicked his addictions to drugs and alcohol by becoming a born-again Christian.

Less than a month after leaving KORN, Welch — wearing a white robe and sporting a long beard — was baptized in Israel's Jordan River, along with about 20 other members of the Valley Bible Fellowship, the Bakersfield, California, church in which he spoke two weekends earlier. At the time, Brian told MTV News that he decided to be baptized in the Jordan after receiving a divine message.

Welch officially returned to KORN in 2013, one year after joining the band onstage at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina to perform "Blind".

Since his conversion to Christ 20 years ago, Welch has been very open about how God changed his lifestyle and restored his relationship with his daughter.

In recent years, Brian has been preaching that people don't have to wait until they die to see if having an encounter with the presence of God is real.

Both Welch and KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have had highly public, though separate, conversion experiences, ones that have been greeted with a certain amount of skepticism.

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Myglobalmind, legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) was asked if late KISS axeman Ace Frehley was an influence on his playing. George responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. And I feel bad saying that, that he just died, but he wasn't. The only thing that impressed me — not impressed me, but the thing that really actually transfixed me with KISS in the early days was their image and their show… The first album, I just looked at, 'Who are these demons? What the hell? It's so cool.' And it influenced, I think, all of us, just like VAN HALEN influenced us, and [LED] ZEPPELIN influenced everybody. It was one of those things."

Lynch added: "I was watching last night, somebody sent me a link to some old STP [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] concert where they all painted their faces and dressed up like KISS. That was just fascinating. I love it."

In the late 1970s, George's pre-DOKKEN band THE BOYZ reportedly played a showcase gig for KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons. Lynch later reflected on the experience in an interview with the "Cobras & Fire" podcast, saying: "[Gene] made us change our names. He was just, like, 'All your names suck. You need new names.' So he gave us all new names. I became Adam Wolf — actually, the singer became Adam Wolf, I became John Lynx. I think [drummer] Mick [Brown] or the bass player was Nikki Thunders — I think Mick was Nikki Thunders. And the bass player was Trevor Roxx. And that lasted for a couple of days, and we changed our names to our real names."

Asked if he had any run-ins with Gene after DOKKEN became a success, George said: "Yeah, we did a freaking tour with them. I did read some — I don't normally read rock biographies, but I did read the VAN HALEN one. And there was a thing in there where Gene just made a really quick mention about us being the band that he actually came to see a second time with Ace [Frehley]. And he talked about signing us. He didn't really discuss that in the book, which was the case. Unfortunately, VAN HALEN came out after us, and they just shifted gears and got VAN HALEN, but his mention in the book was, 'Yeah, XCITER [George's other pre-DOKKEN band] was on that too and they sucked.' That's all he said. I think the first time he saw us we might have been THE BOYZ, and he liked us and talked to us, we were playing Starwood, and I think by that time we changed our name to XCITER and got a different singer."

More than a decade ago, George talked about DOKKEN's 1985 tour as the support act for KISS, telling the KissFAQ.com web site: "[KISS guitarist/vocalist] Paul Stanley invited [then-DOKKEN bassist] Jeff Pilson and I up to his hotel room to write songs after one of the shows. We were very excited, knocked on his door, pushing our recording rack on wheels that we toured with. He let us in wrapped in a towel and soaking wet. He suggested we put on towels too and jump up and down on the beds to get our creative juices flowing, which we did, but then we never wrote any songs. That was weird."

George's long-running band LYNCH MOB will release its ninth and final full-length studio album, "Dancing With The Devil", on November 28, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.

As was the case with LYNCH MOB's eighth studio album, 2023's "Babylon", "Dancing With The Devil" features Lynch alongside vocalist Gabriel Colón, bassist Jaron Gulino (TANTRIC, HEAVENS EDGE) and drummer Jimmy D'Anda (BULLETBOYS).

The current touring lineup of LYNCH MOB includes Lynch, Gulino, vocalist Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE) and drummer Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, OZZY OSBOURNE).

The concertsrock channel on YouTube has uploaded video of Sebastian Bach's October 30 concert at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando in Orlando, Florida. You can now watch the clips below.

In a recent interview with Australia's The Break Down With Nath & Johnny, Bach once again spoke about the inspiration for the title of his latest solo album, "Child Within The Man", which came out in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The former SKID ROW singer said: "I don't know what it is about music, but it definitely keeps you young in some weird way. I don't understand why or how, but when I look at Angus Young on stage with AC/DC in 2025 and he's banging his head, or I look at Mick Jagger [THE ROLLING STONES], who's in his eighties, and he's running out there and he this little — he's so skinny and he's doing all his Mick Jagger stuff… I don't know what it is, but there is something about rock music. It keeps you young… I don't know what the hell it is, but when I listen to an old album, like ROSE TATTOO 'Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw' or RUSH or any music I listened to as a kid, it makes me feel the same way as I felt when I was a kid. I don't know what the fuck it is. But that's the title, 'Child Within The Man'. Rock and roll makes me feel like a child. [Laughs]"

He continued: "Physically, mentally… I'm not a guy who goes to the doctor all the time, but my wife makes me go and get checkups all the time. And I've been rocking for 45 years straight and my doctor tells me, he goes, 'Sebastian, you are the healthiest person in your fifties that we have ever taken care of.' And my wife's, like, 'That can't be right. This is bullshit. There is no way.' They go, 'Your blood sugar, your heart rate…' The doctor said, 'The enzymes that are coming out of your liver could not be healthier.' And if you knew what I've done to my liver in 45 years — so, I don't know if that's part of rock and roll. I don't know. I do hot yoga, but, man, I love drinking red wine. I don't drink anything else. I don't drink beer. I don't do shots. But I love a glass of red wine with a great meal at a great restaurant. I'm just saying a lot of rockers die young, and I'm still rocking. I'm still here. And rock and roll, I think, keeps you young. I don't know what to tell you. [Laughs]"

Bach previously talked about the inspiration for the "Child Within The Man" album title in an April 2024 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie. He said at the time: "Well, my wife calls me man-child. That's kind of been a theme for me my whole career. I bring a youthful energy to the stage when I get up there. People are smiling and excited and hooting and hollering. But the line 'child within the man' is a line of one of the songs on the record. And I scream it like bloody murder. And it kept haunting me. "

Sebastian also talked about the "Child Within The Man" artwork, which holds special meaning since it was designed by Bach's father, noted visual artist David Bierk.

"I have a lot of my dad's artwork," Bach said. "He's no longer alive. And we all, all of his kids, we got a lot of his art when he passed away. And I unrolled a roll of paintings that I knew had the SKID ROW 'Subhuman Race' painting in it, and I wanna take care of it and make sure it's preserved. But in that roll was this painting that I remember my dad doing of me when I was 10 in a field next to this beat-up old Cadillac car in the field and then behind the car, it's Jesus ascending into heaven, and I'm running next to the car. It looks like an album cover. And then he also did a painting of me from Circus magazine, the first centerfold of me on stage at Giants Stadium. He did a gigantic painting of that, like 12 feet high. And so the cover is gonna be me running as a child into me on stage as a man, and it's child within the man. And it just reminds me of the '70s, like child in time, and it just reminds me of a good '70s album cover. And the fact that I can bring back a painting from the year 1978 and make it into artwork in 2023, 2024, that's really mind-blowing to me."

"Child Within The Man" was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Michael "Elvis" Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals.

"Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5 (MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON) — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"). Devin Bronson (guitars),Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Colson (drums) round out the players on the album. The album was made available on jewelcase CD, cassette, and double LP in a variety of colour options.

The album's first single, "What Do I Got To Lose?", was co-written by Sebastian, Kennedy and Baskette, the latter of whom also served as the track's producer.

Bach performed "What Do I Got To Lose?" live for the first time during his February 24, 2024 concert at Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bach released the official music video for "What Do I Got To Lose?" in December 2023. The clip was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera. For the video, which shows Bach cruising through the desert in a convertible and performing with a full band, Sebastian was joined by his former SKID ROW bandmate, drummer Rob Affuso. The clip also features an appearance by actor and comedian Craig Gass and Sebastian's wife Suzanne, who plays a scantily clad car wash attendant.

Prior to the arrival of "Child Within The Man", Bach hadn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

Celebrate your love for rock and roll at our Halloween Velvet Session with Sebastian Bach! Don’t miss this night of music and Halloween fun 🎸🎃😎

Purchase tickets today! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3HposK0

Posted by Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando on Tuesday, October 7, 2025

On Thursday, October 30, "A 60th Anniversary Doors Celebration" was held at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. This one-night-only event honored 60 years of THE DOORS with a special homage to the groundbreaking Los Angeles band's 1970 release "Morrison Hotel" — which features the classics "Roadhouse Blues", "Waiting For The Sun", "The Spy" and "Peace Frog" — along with other DOORS classics, some of which were never played live by THE DOORS.

Special guests joining Robby Krieger, legendary guitarist of THE DOORS, included Billy Idol and Steve Stevens, Greg Gonzalez (CIGARETTES AFTER SEX),Perry Farrell (JANE'S ADDICTION),Fantastic Negrito, Chris Goss (MASTERS OF REALITY),Kevin Martin (CANDLEBOX),John Doe (X),Deryck Whibley (SUM 41),Haley Reinhart, Robert DeLeo (STONE TEMPLE PILOTS),Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE),Steven Adler (GUNS N' ROSES),Adam Kury (CANDLEBOX) and Orianthi.

The show kicked off with a performance from TRIPFORM featuring Pablo Manzarek (son of original DOORS member, the late Ray Manzarek). Next, Krieger — along with his sensational band featuring Ed Roth, Dan Rothchild, Ty Dennis and Waylon Krieger — and the guest performers took the stage.

The Greek Theater show capped off THE DOORS' 60th-anniversary celebration which Krieger kickstarted earlier this year by performing five sold-out shows at the Whisky A Go Go, the legendary venue where it truly started for THE DOORS.

Sixty years after their formation, THE DOORS' music and legacy are more influential than ever. Helmed by Jim Morrison (vocals),Ray Manzarek (keyboard),Robby Krieger (guitar) and John Densmore (drums),THE DOORS exploded on to the scene through timeless classics such as "Light My Fire", "Break on Through (To The Other Side)" and "Riders On The Storm", ultimately releasing six studio albums. Icons of rebellion and creative freedom, THE DOORS have sold over 100 million albums.

In the summer of 1965, Ray Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with Jim Morrison, a young poet whom he knew when they were both students at UCLA's film school. Jim told Ray he had been living on a friend's rooftop writing songs. Though Morrison had never intended to be a singer, he sat down on the beach and sang the new songs to Ray, including "Moonlight Drive". Manzarek thought they were the best rock and roll lyrics he ever heard. At that moment, they both agreed to start a rock band and call it THE DOORS, taking their name from Aldous Huxley's psychotropic monograph "The Doors of Perception" and William Blake's "The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell". Guitar player Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore, who'd played together in the PSYCHEDELIC RANGERS, were recruited soon thereafter. After months of rehearsals, they landed a gig as the house band at a small Sunset Strip club called the London Fog. By May 1966, they had graduated to their dream gig — house band at the Whisky A Go Go. Soon after, Elektra Records president Jac Holzman and producer Paul A. Rothchild saw the band performing at the Whisky and signed THE DOORS to the label. Over the course of a week, THE DOORS recorded their debut album at Sunset Sound Recording Studios in Hollywood, putting on tape the songs they had been playing night after night at the Whisky.

THE DOORS' eponymous debut album — which the BBC and Rolling Stone have each hailed as one of the greatest debuts of all time — was released in January 1967 and features the chart-topping smash hit "Light My Fire", the bluesy, growling "Back Door Man" and seminal live-set showstopper "The End", with its legendary Oedipal spoken-word section.

Having cemented their place in the rock pantheon and the psychedelic rock revolution, THE DOORS returned to the studio resulting in the anticipated follow-up, "Strange Days", which went to No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and featured "Love Me Two Times" and "People Are Strange".

In 1968, the band released "Waiting For The Sun", their first No. 1 album featuring the chart-topping single "Hello, I Love You", along with "Love Street" and "Five To One".

THE DOORS then dove further into uncharted psychedelic territory with 1969's string and horn-laden album "The Soft Parade", which included the Krieger-penned hit "Touch Me".

1970's "Morrison Hotel", which boasts fan favorites "Roadhouse Blues" and "Peace Frog", took the band back to its bluesy roots. 1971's "L.A. Woman", the band's final album with Morrison and recorded in the band's rehearsal space, features "Riders On The Storm", "Love Her Madly" and the title track.

During their brief time together, THE DOORS delivered six studio albums before Morrison's untimely death in Paris in 1971. Their electrifying achievements in the studio and onstage remain unmatched in the annals of rock, and today they remain as one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide.

In 1993 the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Several years later, the songs "Light My Fire" and "Riders On The Storm" along with THE DOORS' debut album were inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. The Library of Congress also recognized the band, selecting their self-titled album for inclusion in the National Recording Registry in 2014. THE DOORS also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2007.

With an intoxicating, boundary-pushing sound, provocative and uncompromising lyrics, and mesmerizing stage presence, THE DOORS would go on to have a transformative impact on both music and culture.

Florida metallers TRIVIUM played their first show with their new drummer Alex Rüdinger (formerly of WHITECHAPEL) on Friday (October 31) at the opening concert of the band's "Struck Dead" North American tour at the House Of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

On October 27, Rüdinger took to his social media to share a photo of his current drum setup, and he included the following message: "Quick shot of the setup I'll be using on this run with @triviumband !

"Last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy (in a good way!). As [TRIVIUM] mentioned in their initial post [announcing Rüdinger's addition to the band], there's some history between us. Nearly 10 years ago, I was asked about playing with TRIVIUM, & it was honestly one of the most conflicting situations of my career. My band at the time, GOOD TIGER, had just launched, & we had just completed this crowdfunding campaign that raised us a ton of money to start this new band.

"I honestly didn't know what to do. Part of me was worried about how it would look — start this new band, then bail to join an already established band. That was definitely one thought that I had. But more than anything, at the time — I didn't want to let my friends down. The whole reason I did GT was because we were friends, first & foremost.

"I was totally upfront with GT — they even encouraged me to go & meet TRIVIUM. They didn't want me to leave, but they didn't want me to stay and regret it. So I did — I flew down to Florida, & spent some time with Matt, Corey, & Paolo.

"In the end, I made the decision that I thought was right, & not what was truly best for myself. If I had been honest with myself, the truth was that I wanted to do this back then. But that's not the decision that I made, & it's something I did in fact come to regret (quite a lot).

"But life goes on, & while I often looked back on it & wondered what might have been, you can't change the past. So I did my best to move on, & life took me where it took me.

"Then two weeks ago, that all changed. I saw that they parted ways with their drummer, I immediately reached out, & here I am.

"To say I'm thrilled to be doing this is truly an understatement. I feel as though I have an incredibly rare opportunity — a second chance at something that I always wanted. It's honestly quite surreal.

"I'm just incredibly thankful, excited, & can't wait to play these 13-14 songs that I've learned thus far (& in time, even more!).

"Thank you Matt, Corey, & Paolo for trusting me to do your music justice, & welcoming me (again) with such enthusiasm.

"That's all for now, ya'll - hope to see you at a show!

TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy chimed in below Alex's post: "Thank you so much Rudi-san. It took us a decade — but we're finally making music together. Here's to the future!"

Earlier in October, TRIVIUM parted ways with longtime drummer Alex Bent and replaced him with Rüdinger.

Rüdinger is sitting behind the kit for TRIVIUM's entire "Struck Dead" fall 2025 North American tour. He will also be part of the writing sessions for the next TRIVIUM album.

In a recent interview with Belgian Jasper, TRIVIUMbassist Paolo Gregoletto was asked what the process of going through another drummer change has been like for him personally, being one half of the band's rhythm section. He responded: "You've gotta start from square one again in a lot of ways because the first thing you've gotta do is get people up to speed on the music you've done, 'cause you're touring, probably, so that takes a bit of effort. I feel like it's made me a lot more aware of every aspect of our band because I know the drum parts pretty, pretty well, down to little, little things that I'll kind of bring up from time to time, like, 'Hey, actually, this part has this' blah, blah, blah. And I don't know — it's just something I've started to retain in my head. And also maybe it's because, as a bass player, you focus in on the rhythm a lot more than… I don't know if a guitar player wouldn't, but you focus in on the little things like that because you often are playing off of what they're doing."

Paolo continued: "Yeah, you just have to kind of pick back up, start again. I guess for us it's a lot easier, being a band for 20 years. We have a pretty established thing. We have our records. We know them really well. It's, like, we know who we are. It was harder going through that in the beginning, but now it's… I don't wanna say that we're used to it, because it's been nine years [since the last time we had to change drummers], so it's not something we were expecting, but you, I guess, can weather and handle these kind of things a lot better. I think being our age, that's part of it too. Maybe when you're younger, it's a lot more of an emotional thing. But I don't feel like that now. I just know what we've gotta do, and I wanna get to it and I wanna get to the tour. I wanna make sure this tour, for the people coming out, this is the best TRIVIUM show you've ever seen. And it's gotta be that level."

In a separate interview with Australia's Wall Of Sound, TRIVIUM guitarist Corey Beaulieu stated about the band's split with Bent: "It just kind of happened, and it was kind of a surprise. I don't think anyone was really expecting it. But it is what it is. When it all kind of went down, we all wished each other the best. There's no hard feelings. It was just kind of one of those things where it's, like, life changes paths. And it's all positive. We made three amazing records together. The [upcoming 'Struck Dead'] EP is amazing, which it will be his last thing. He started working on the [next TRIVIUM full-length] record with us, so hopefully when that's finished and done, he'll feel a part of that."

Corey continued: "When [Alex] came into the band, we had a great chemistry, a great writing team. I think all the music we did together is — hopefully the fans just are really excited about what was created in that time. And Alex, he's a great drummer, a great person and stuff, and I'm sure he's got plans for whatever his next chapter is."

Gregoletto told Thunder Underground about TRIVIUM's split with Bent:  "I don't feel like I want fans to be, like, Hey, okay, we're over it. We expect you to be over it,' kind of thing. I'm like, no. I'm, like, we made a lot of great music and there's a lot of history between us. He was almost in the band as long as Travis [Smith, former TRIVIUM drummer] was and almost made as many albums, I believe. So that's a pretty big chunk of our history right there. And I think 'The Sin And The Sentence', of the stuff we all did together, is maybe one of my favorite records we've done. And I think the [upcoming] EP ['Struck Dead'], too — if that's the end of the chapter, I'm, like, that's a great ending right there, 'cause I think it's a very, very cool EP. And I can say without a doubt, I feel that the albums and EP has been an incredible run. I don't feel we had a real weak point. I can't say that's something I feel like for our whole career. So I'm, like, I feel very proud of that. It was a lot of effort and work and everyone's part."

At this year's Aftershock festival, Paolo told Baby Huey and Chasta of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about Bent: "We've had a great nine years together. I feel like it's kind of a weird thing because, obviously, being in a band together, but I feel like because we've all had families and stuff, there's a tighter connection there that even just what people see. So I think it's one of those things, we all were kind of sad, but at the same time, we said, 'Alex, we want you to kind of make the statement. You kind of lead how you'd like to handle all this stuff.' And I didn't wanna put words in his mouth or say whatever. He made the statement. I feel like we ended on great terms. And that's really kind of it. I mean, there's no juicier CRADLE OF FILTH [-style] drama [with former hired musicians sharing their grievances online]. And, again, it's one of those things where we wanted him to make a statement."

Paolo continued: "In the past we've always been very, like — we don't really like to get into any behind-the-scenes stuff with that. And, of course, we've had changes before, but we felt like in this instance, rather than just saying 'we're parting' or whatever, we [told Alex], like, 'Well, you've been around for so long, our fans would wanna hear from you.' And so that made it more important to us to be, like, 'Okay, you are gonna say whatever you'd like to say.' We didn't [tell Alex], 'You can't say this or that.' And then just give it 24 hours."

When Bent announced his departure from TRIVIUM on October 3, he said in a statement: "I am beyond grateful for the incredible past nine years with TRIVIUM — filled with unforgettable moments, music, and friendships that I'll always carry with me. I'm so proud of every record and tour we created together, and I know TRIVIUM will continue to dominate the world; they'll always have my support.

"While this chapter has come to a close, this is by no means the end of my path as a musician. I'm excited for this new chapter, and I look forward to continuing to create, perform, and share music in new ways.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Your encouragement means the world."

In December 2016, TRIVIUM parted ways with Paul Wandtke and welcomed Bent, a former member of BATTLECROSS and DECREPIT BIRTH who had previously played with TESTAMENT as a fill-in for that band's longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.

"Struck Dead" arrived on October 31 via longtime label Roadrunner. The effort was produced by TRIVIUM and recorded with Mark Lewis at the band's Hangar Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur.

JUST ANNOUNCED! ⚔ Trivium is bringing the Ascend Above The Ashes Tour to a House of Blues Myrtle Beach on October 31...

Posted by House of Blues Myrtle Beach on Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Los Angeles quartet VOLUMES — Michael Barr (vocals),Raad Soudani (bass),Myke Terry (vocals) and Nick Ursich (drums) — will release its fifth album, "Mirror Touch", digitally on December 12 via longtime label Fearless Records. The physical album will arrive on February 27, 2026.

Today, VOLUMES have dropped the visualizer for the new single "S.O.A.P.". Watch it below.

VOLUMES have never sounded as confident and assured as they do on this riff-roaring new single. Crunchy, industrial-tinged production, screamed vs. melodic vocal interplay, and a thunderous breakdown signal the beginning of the new era of VOLUMES. If MESHUGGAH or FEAR FACTORY entered into a cage match with the "Terminator: Judgment Day"'s T-1000 liquid antagonist, it would sound a lot like "S.O.A.P."

"'S.O.A.P.' is about pure and impure indulgence," the band explains. "Good versus evil. Playing with fire or magic — the lines are blurred here. We self-nurture habits that are deemed immoral, although who is the person making that decisions for us?"

"Mirror Touch" track listing:

01. Sidewinder
02. Bottom Dollar
03. Bad Habit
04. California
05. Adrenaline
06. Stitch
07. S.O.A.P.
08. Dream
09. Worth It
10. Suffer On (feat. Black Sheep Wall)

15 years into their career, VOLUMES have weathered ups, downs, time, trends, and everything else life could throw at them only to come out stronger on the other side. Against all odds, a devout audience has ridden shotgun and grown with them every step of the way, waiting for this moment.

Through a decade and a half, VOLUMES' quiet impact has been felt, with over 167 million streams in the U.S. alone, widespread acclaim, and sold-out shows. They've carved out their own corner of heavy music with an inimitable hybrid of head-crushing polyrhythmic prog-spiked metal, hardcore spirit, and unbridled attitude. They have assuredly leveled up over the course of albums such as "Via" (2011),"No Sleep" (2014),"Different Animals" (2017) and "Happier?" (2021). Kerrang! hailed the latter as "an album that gives a nod to the band's past while still bringing in new ideas." Meanwhile, the group shared stages on tour with everyone from ICE NINE KILLS and BORN OF OSIRIS to DANCE GAVIN DANCE and COUNTERPARTS. The Los Angeles group continues to fortify a full-on sensory assault with thick riffing, chilling soundscapes, and the venomous bite of its incomparable two-headed vocal hydra.

Photo credit: Lindsey Byrnes

On October 31, 1975, QUEEN's masterpiece "Bohemian Rhapsody" was released and began the journey to becoming one of the greatest songs of all time. Brilliant and completely unique, its creative and technical complexity sent shockwaves throughout the music industry, taking everyone by surprise. Everyone, that is, except the band, who by this point had become well used to QUEEN singer Freddie Mercury's extraordinary flights of fantasy. In exclusive interviews for "Queen The Greatest", QUEEN guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor highlight the songs that paved the road to "Bohemian Rhapsody".

While to the outside world "Bohemian Rhapsody" is regarded as QUEEN's masterstroke, for May and Taylor, talking in this first episode of a new series of "Queen The Greatest", this was very much a typical day's work with Freddie.

"You didn't know where Freddie was coming from," says Brian. "He comes in and goes 'there's this bit, and there's another bit we'll do, and there's the operatic and then there's another bit we will do.' 'Oh, yeah, okay, Freddie.' And basically, you have two choices, either going 'well we're really not feeling it,' which we sometimes would do, or we all dive in, and the whole QUEEN machine swings into action."

Clearly for Freddie, Brian, Roger and QUEEN bassist John Deacon, "Bohemian Rhapsody" was part of the natural evolution of QUEEN, and in these interviews Brian and Roger explain where from a songwriting point of view this evolution began.

May points to the band's first album, QUEEN and its track "My Fairy King": "Piano based, quite complex, lots of mood changes and a fantasy lyric."

Taylor concurs: "I think it was certainly part of Freddie's journey. Obviously when we did 'Bohemian Rhapsody' we didn't know we were going to end up with that. Part of our thing was really experimentation, and it's very much on our first album, the track 'My Fairy King', which I think is one of the more interesting tracks, it was complicated, had a lot of difficult vocals, and it had fantastic elements."

Taylor continues: "On the second album, 'Queen II', there's a monumentally long and complicated track, 'March Of The Black Queen', which involved a lot of rehearsal, a lot of singing and so many different little sections. It's a lot more complicated in many ways than 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. It had all the different ingredients 'Bohemian Rhapsody' had. It's a track I like to listen to because of the complexity of it. I can't believe we learned it all; it was so bloody long and laborious but satisfying."

May points to a further example of Freddie's evolution as a songwriter: "Now 'The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke' is incredibly complex, and ought to be just as shocking to people as 'Bohemian Rhapsody', because it's unique. No one's ever done anything like that, and all these little pieces that come in and go out and tings and contrapuntal things, and he's doing something over here, I'm doing something over here. We just remixed it all, and it's fascinating to make it all work."

Taylor agrees: "It's incredibly complicated. There are swooping, counter six-part harmonies here, there, coming in and crossing. It's very bloody complicated that song — and rather wonderful in its eccentricity, I think. Yeah. It's a nice, interesting track. It didn't come across as big as we thought it would, but it's an interesting exercise in eccentric over-elaboration."

"But this is Freddie and this is QUEEN," adds May, "because this is the kind of music we're evolving as we go along quite gradually."

While neither "March Of The Black Queen" or "The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke" enjoys the same profile as "Bohemian Rhapsody", they undoubtably laid the path to QUEEN's most famous song.

The new series of "Queen The Greatest" will continue weekly throughout November.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" was released on heavyweight blue 7" and 12" single, 12" picture disc and blue cassette single on October 31.

ALKALINE TRIO marked Halloween with the release of new single "Surprise Surprise". The third of the band's current triptych of standalone seven-inch vinyl and digital singles, "Surprise Surprise" lives up to its name with one of the most sonically subdued and viscerally vulnerable performances in ALKALINE TRIO's storied history.

ALKALINE TRIO singer and guitarist Matt Skiba said of the song: "'Surprise Surprise' was inspired by and written for a friend of mine who grew up poor and entrenched in gang life only to become a Navy SEAL and eventually an astronaut. It's his story combined with my own thoughts regarding how a sort of alchemy takes place when someone takes the experiences of a bad situation and is able to turn them into something profound and beautiful. The rough sketch of the song had only verse and chorus parts but no bridge which was written by Dan in the studio. This song was the last one of the three we did in this session with Travis Barker and was even more of a collaboration and studio creation than the previous two."

"Surprise Surprise" follows "Bleeding Out" and "Oblivion" as the third and final of three songs ALKALINE TRIO recorded with producer Travis Barker of BLINK 182 — the first studio sessions to feature the current TRIO lineup of founding guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba, longtime bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano and drummer Atom Willard.

Available now across digital platforms, "Surprise Surprise" will also be released by Rise Records as a limited edition D2C color vinyl seven-inch, featuring an exclusive demo version on the B-side. Also unveiled on Halloween was the official "Surprise Surprise" music video. Watch it below.

Travis Barker said of the sessions: "Recording with ALKALINE TRIO was such a treat. Bringing these songs to life from the demos Matt recorded was so exciting. Both Matt and Dan are incredible lyricists, two of my all-time favorites. The studio never feels like work, just a magical place to create. The process was so natural and easy, I could've kept going forever. Really proud of these songs me, Matt, Dan and Atom recorded. Excited for what's ahead for ALKALINE TRIO and for fans to hear these special songs we made."

ALKALINE TRIO recently completed a North American tour supporting BLINK 182 — as well as a few select headline shows and festival dates.

Press photo credit: Jonathan Weiner (courtesy of Nasty Little Man PR)

CROBOT has released a new song, "Gun To My Head". The track is the lead single from the Pennsylvania hard rock act's upcoming sixth album, the details of which will be announced soon.

"Gun To My Head" marks the recording debut of CROBOT's new rhythm section consisting of brothers Willie Jansen (bass, vocals) and Nico Jansen (drums, percussion).

There's a special kind of madness that happens when a band circles back to its roots — that wild-eyed realization that the thing you were chasing was behind you the whole damn time. CROBOT are standing right there now, staring down the beast they built, grinning through the smoke.

Brandon Yeagley still preaches his gospel from behind the mic like some back-alley shaman with a harmonica holstered for punctuation. Christopher Bishop remains the riff conjurer — tone soaked in engine grease and snake oil, as if the guitar itself were trying to escape the song. And with the arrival of Willie and Nico, the band's pulse has started to sound downright dangerous again — thick, swinging, and impossible to fake.

Every band says they're "getting back to their roots." Most of them mean they're out of ideas. CROBOT means it like a blood oath. They've stripped it all down to the muscle and marrow, rediscovering that holy intersection where BLACK SABBATH's weight meets FUNKADELIC's freak, where CLUTCH's swagger shakes hands in the "Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic" era of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. This isn't nostalgia — it's resurrection. The past few years have sanded off a lot of pretense. What's left is a band that's learned how to breathe again, how to groove again, how to trust the dirt under their boots. They've been through the industry grinder, the touring trenches, the ego traps, and the inner wars — and somehow came out grinning wider, riffing harder, and sounding more alive than they have in a decade.

That rebirth roars to life on "Gun To My Head", the first shot fired from their upcoming album. It's CROBOT at their most unfiltered — hook-heavy, groove-drenched, and thick with the kind of swagger that makes amps sweat. The song's chorus swings like a pendulum between surrender and salvation, the sound of four musicians testing their own limits and finding freedom on the other side. It's not about violence — it's about the pressure of transformation, the push and pull between love, truth, and the kind of pain that forces you to evolve.

"Sometimes you're forced to take a step back and reflect on what really matters," explains Yeagley. "Every note has a reason, every word a purpose. We're etching something in-blood into the CROBOT discography — and 'Gun To My Head' felt like the best taste of what's to come."

CROBOT launched a co-headlining tour with THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX on October 24. The "Bastards Of The Holy Riff" tour kicked off will wrap up on November 23 at Milkboy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Press photo courtesy of TAG Publicity

Emerging from the global success of FIRE FROM THE GODS, the band's former frontman AJ Channer has launched a new solo project called CHNNR, which lights the fuse on a bold new era with the explosive debut single "FUKT". This isn't just music — it's a raw, unfiltered rallying cry for anyone facing turmoil, demanding change in a world on edge.

"FUKT" is the first taste of Channer's solo journey under the CHNNR banner, fusing the raw power of rock and metal with the streetwise grit of hip-hop. Known for his unmistakable voice — an instrument of both fury and vulnerability — Channer channels his American, Jamaican, and British roots, weaving those diverse influences into a boundary-defying new sound with collaborator/producer Sahaj Ticotin (RA, NOTHING MORE, STARSET). At its core, the music hits with unrelenting honesty, telling stories of resilience, hardship, and the relentless fight to rise above adversity.

CHNNR's debut is more than just a single — it's a movement born from struggle, survival, and fierce authenticity. Having endured battles with addiction and mental health, CHNNR emerges not just undefeated, but transformed — stronger than ever, with a message that refuses to be silenced. Every lyric is a testament to coming out the other side, offering hope and raw truth for the voiceless and the unheard.

With "FUKT", CHNNR delivers a sonic rebellion fueled by experience and driven by purpose. This is the next evolution in heavy music: unapologetic, real, and fearless. No lies told.

The official video for "FUKT", directed by Dale Restighini (METHOD MAN, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BUSTA RHYMES, MUDVAYNE, NICKI MINAJ),will debut November 11 on CHNNR's brand new VEVO and YouTube channel.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Geddy Lee of RUSH spoke about the band's decision to reunite for a tour next year. The limited run of summer and fall dates — Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson's first official shows under the RUSH banner in 11 years — will begin at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, site of the last RUSH concert on the legendary Canadian band's "R40" anniversary tour. Joining the duo on the trek will be German drummer Anika Nilles, who toured with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022 and has been rehearsing with Lee and Lifeson in preparation for the tour, dubbed "Fifty Something".

Regarding which songs RUSH will play on the "Fifty Something" trek, Geddy said: "I don't really want to give our setlist away because we are learning at the moment our set list contains over 38 songs, because we plan on changing the set every night. There will be a large percentage of songs that we will switch between nights. So if you come to say four shows in Toronto, you're going to hear four different sets. That's going to include a lot of songs, obviously. They are obviously the big favorites that you sort of have to have in the set list every night. But we really want to keep the set fresh. And right now, I'm working on five different sets for the shows. So we're going to move things around quite a bit and have a lot of fun, and hopefully that'll keep Alex and I fresh."

Asked what it means to him that RUSH's 2026 tour has been embraced so fervently by the band's fans, Geddy said: "Honestly, it's blown me away. I was shocked at the overwhelming response and the welcoming response from fans, especially the way they have welcomed Anika Nilles into the RUSH family. It's a tough thing for RUSH fans. They know us as Alex, myself and, of course, Neil Peart. And it was a very difficult decision for us to make to come back."

Geddy continued: "It's been 11 years since we've even contemplated the tour. So there was a lot of emotional back and forth. There was a lot of work. There was a lot of gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands. But then we finally decided that life is short, we love this material, we haven't played these songs in a long time, and we know how many fans want to hear these songs. So it became a joyous decision in the end. We hope to carry that atmosphere through on this tour, making it a celebration of our past. And I hope fans just get what they're after when they come to see us."

Earlier in the month, Geddy was asked by CBC News how he is feeling about the prospect of going back on the road for the first time in more than a decade. Lee said: "Well, I'm a bit overwhelmed right now, to be honest. Alex and I took a long time trying to figure out if we could actually do this ever again. And when we did finally decide, of course people were optimistic, but we really didn't expect the kind of overwhelming response our announcement has brought forth out of our fanbase. It's just been a remarkable few weeks around our homes, but very exciting — very exciting."

Regarding what it is like to playing with a new drummer, following the 2020 death of RUSH's iconic drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, Geddy said: "Well, of course it was a very difficult decision to go back on the road, and that was the main stumbling block, obviously. How do we replace the irreplaceable, so to speak? And we have been fortunate to have been introduced to the name Anika Nilles through one of my road crew — my bass tech Skully [John McIntosh], who was on tour with Jeff Beck, and she was the drummer for Jeff Beck on his last tour. And he came home from that tour raving about her. And so when we made the decision to see what it's like to play with another drummer, we contacted her, and she's just a fantastic person. And she came to Canada and we very surreptitiously snuck into a studio and worked out for about a week. And by the end of it, we were convinced that this would be a go for us. Yeah, she's just a tremendous player."

Asked if he gets a sense at all that Anika is a little intimidated by the challenge of stepping into RUSH as a replacement for such a legendary musician as Peart was, Lee said: "Oh, of course. When she first came over here [to Canada], we started playing some of the songs, trying to translate RUSH music to someone who didn't really grow up as a RUSH fan; she was not a RUSH fan. She knew, of course, of Neil's playing — every drummer knows who Neil is, or Neil was, I should say — so it was a bit of a daunting task. And we had to go through each song and explain the nuances of the song and the idiosyncratic nature of how our songs are put together. So at times she was a bit overwhelmed, but she's an incredibly hard worker. She's got great technical facility and she's just got a really positive attitude, and that's really good for Alex and I to be around right now."

Lee, a known baseball and Toronto Blue Jays superfan, who has attended nearly every home game the baseball team has played this season, was asked if occasionally hearing "the incredible roar of the home crowd" at baseball games made him think that he "misses that sound" from audiences at RUSH concerts. He responded: "Actually, no. It never answers my mind, to be frank. The one thing I miss about touring is actually the job itself and that marvelous feeling of being in the middle of a 10-minute song and you're caught up on your playing and you're trying your best and everything is working and all your bandmates are clicking. It's that adrenaline that I miss. I had kind of settled into a nice life without the roar of the crowd, and I think I adjusted pretty well to it. But, of course, I'll be very happy to hear that once again."

Geddy also talked about the physical rigors of performing and whether he will be ready to hit the road for an extensive run of shows starting in June 2026. He said: "I'm getting ready. I've been playing diligently for about a year and a half now. And it wasn't that we had planned this tour that long ago. I had just decided that after writing all these books and having the experience of doing television shows that I needed to make some music again. So I've been working out pretty regularly trying to get my fingers, these little digits, back in shape. And, of course, since we did make the decision to tour, I'm hitting the gym pretty hard, and so is Alex. But we're gonna be ready. We're working at it. We're gonna put a lot of hours into that."

RUSH will perform multiple shows in cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, beginning June 7, 2026 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. These special "evening with" shows will find the band playing two sets each night. Each show will feature a distinct selection of songs and RUSH will build each night's setlist from a catalogue of 35 songs including their greatest hits and fan favorites.

After Lee and Lifeson announced RUSH's initial 2026 tour dates in early October, they instantly sold out. They then doubled the tour's length due to increased demand before adding even more dates to the trek.

At the moment, the "Fifty Something" tour is scheduled to stretch into the fall and early winter, with sold-out shows in Chicago, Cleveland, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, as well as dates in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., to name a few.

During an invite-only gathering of 150 fans, media and dignitaries at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Foster Theater in Cleveland, Ohio on October 5, Geddy and Alex of RUSH spoke about their decision to reunite for a tour next year. Regarding how they decided to tour as RUSH again, more than five years after iconic RUSH drummer Neil Peart's death, Alex said: "When we finished the ['R40'] tour [in 2015], it was difficult for Neil, and he'd had enough by that point. I think Ged and I still had gas in the tank and we still wanted to continue working. But it was what it was, and the further I got away from it, the more I thought, 'It's okay. We had 40 years. I'm tired of hanging around a hotel, being away from family and all of that stuff.' And I felt that way for most of the last 10 years, really. I thought we had a great legacy, and it's okay. Then this guy" — referring to Geddy — "came along and had some big ideas. And we talked and we started playing. And then I realized that I love it so much — I love playing so much. And I've continued, over these last years, doing other projects and still playing a lot. But when we sat down and started playing some of the RUSH stuff and I realized how hard it was to play these songs… When you do it every day for 40 years, it's not a big deal, really — you're used to it — but when you're away from it and you are a little more objective about the intense complexity of the music and the feel and the nuances and all the things that go into making a RUSH song and performance, to be challenged with that again was really, really exciting. And the more we started rehearsing and playing, the more I just fell in love with the idea of playing again."

Added Geddy: "It was a very difficult decision on many levels, first of all, because what it entails in terms of work, but also what had transpired. Losing a member like Neil, it was devastating and it was a very sad time, and it took time for us to even contemplate it. I mean, this is a relatively recent decision. And I would say it was kind of out of the question for the longest time because of those circumstances. And how do you replace someone who's irreplaceable? So, we would joke about it sometimes, and Al was doing other things, I was writing books and something happened in the last couple of years that brought us back to jamming in the studio. He would come over, drink my coffee, hang around, we would jam and we would laugh. And then one day — I don't know why — we started playing some RUSH songs for fun. And God, we were laughing so hard and we were enjoying it so much. And it was almost like playing those songs dispelled the dark clouds. It was not an easy decision to come to, and this is really the first time we're talking about it out loud in front of other people. So, yeah, it feels right, and we're gonna do it."

Asked how they found the right drummer to step in for Neil on the "Fifty Something" tour, Geddy said: "Well, our idea was not to try to be RUSH 2.0, just to pay homage to our music, pay homage to our lost brother and represent the songs and celebrate the songs.

"I haven't talked about this before, but… So, my bass tech Skully [John McIntosh] was working with Jeff Beck. He was on tour with him for a few years. And on the last tour he was playing with this drummer named Anika Nilles — an incredible drummer. And he would come home, he would rave about her, what a brilliant player she was and great person, and blah, blah, blah. So I kind of looked her up. And she's all over YouTube. She's fairly well known in her own world of music. And then we started talking about playing again. I said to Al, I said, 'Check her out. Maybe that's an interesting way to go.' And so one thing led to another, and when we made the decision we wanted to see if it would work, what's it like to play with another drummer — we'd had that experience, of course, at the Taylor Hawkins tributes [in September 2022]. So we know how difficult it is — no matter who the drummer is, they all have their own perception of what it's like to play a RUSH song, and they may not line up with the way we play RUSH songs. So whoever we were going to choose was going to be difficult and there's going to be like a translation. And so we very secretly brought Anika to Canada. And it wasn't an audition, 'cause at that point we weren't really sure that we were going to tour. It was all an experiment. Anyway, I'm very happy to say that she is fantastic to play with. And we've had now a number of sessions with her and we are going to go on the road with her. I think she's a remarkable story. And she's much younger than us… And I like that, that she came to RUSH music without any preconceptions. It also made it very difficult, 'cause we had to explain nuances and work on subtleties, and she had to really try to get into Neil's headspace and his feel. A lot of drummers can play Neil's drum fills, but to combine that with the feel of those songs, so that it feels the way you guys wanna hear those songs, that's work — that requires work. And so she's winning."

As for what RUSH fans can expect from the upcoming concerts, Geddy said: "I don't think we can do a three-hour show the way we did when we were in our younger years, but we're certainly gonna play over two hours. And we'll get a lot of songs in, for sure."

Lee went on to say that "it's not an accident" that he and Alex chose Los Angeles's Kia Forum — where RUSH played its last-ever show with Peart in 2015 — as the location of the first gig of the tour.

"It'll be, I think, quite an emotional moment," Geddy said. "And I have to say also a thank you to [Neil's widow] Carrie Nuttall and [daughter] Olivia Peart who have been very supportive and are supporting us for this tour, and we really appreciate that, and that makes things better. And we also plan to pay tribute to Neil at least a couple of times during the show in our own way. And that'll happen every night, we'll pay tribute to him.

"After Neil passed, COVID hit and we never really were able to do any kind of tribute to him — not a tribute concert," Lee explained. "And so this is one way that we pay homage to the music and the lyrics and the incredible drumming of our pal and partner, and at the same time celebrate the music that [the fans] have thankfully shown up for, for all these years. And we'll just endeavor to do our best to make [the fans] happy."

When the "Fifty Something" tour was announced on October 6, Carrie Nuttall-Peart and Olivia Peart said in a statement: "We are thrilled to support the 'Fifty Something' tour, celebrating a band whose music has resonated and inspired fans for generations, and to honor Neil's extraordinary legacy as both a drummer and lyricist.

"Neil's musicianship was singular. Compositions of intricacy and power that expanded what rhythm itself could express. As both drummer and lyricist, he was irreplaceable. Inimitable in his artistry, and unmatched in the depth and imagination he brought to the lyrics that inspired and moved so many, he profoundly shaped how fans connected with him and the band, giving voice and meaning to their own lives.

"As the band enters this new chapter, it promises to be truly unforgettable. We are excited to see how their new vision unfolds, and to hear this legendary music played live once again."

On October 6, fans got the news via a RUSH newsletter from a home video that announced the celebration of upcoming dates with Lee and Lifeson at Geddy's home studio.

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Since Peart's death, Lifeson and Lee have not recorded any new music or performed live under the RUSH name, although both of them confirmed that several drummers reached out to them in the days after the legendary drummer's passing about the possibility of stepping in for Neil.

Photo credit: Richard Sibbald

Original KISS drummer Peter Criss will release a new solo album, simply titled "Peter Criss", on December 19.

"Peter Criss" was co-produced by Criss alongside Barry Pointer, who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, John 5, MÖTLEY CRÜE, Steve Stevens, Pearl Aday and Dolly Parton. Joining the legendary KISS musician on the LP are Billy Sheehan and Matthew Montgomery (a.k.a. Piggy D.) on bass, John 5 and Mike McLaughlin on guitar and Paul Shaffer on piano. The record also features the talents of backing vocalists Dennis and Sharon Collins, and Cat Manning of CAT 5.

"'Peter Criss' represents the Catman's return to form, and his most rock driven solo album ever and it includes appearances by John 5, Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer," reads a statement on the project's Bandcamp page. "All CDs and the download album of 'Peter Criss' include the bonus track 'Hard Rock Knockers', all vinyl editions include a download card for this bonus track, as well."

"Peter Criss" track listing:

01. Rock, Rockin', Rock & Roll (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
02. In The Dark (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
03. For The Money (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
04. Murder (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
05. Walking On Water (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
06. Creepy Crawlers (feat. John 5, Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
07. Justice (feat. John 5, Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
08. Cheaper To Keep Her (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
09. Sugar (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
10. Rubberneckin' (feat. John 5, Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer)
11. Hard Rock Knockers (feat. Billy Sheehan and Paul Shaffer) (bonus track)

A trailer for the album's first single, "Creepy Crawlers", is available below.

This past April, Peter told The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn about his upcoming rock solo album: "Yeah, I'm excited. I got great players on it. I got Billy Sheehan, Paul Shaffer, Johnny 5, Michael, my guitarist, [and] I got Piggy from ROB ZOMBIE. So it's like a dream team band. And it's a real Peter Criss album. It's an album I always wanted to do. And hopefully the fans will like it."

The album will be Criss's first solo release since 2007's "One For All", which arrived 13 years after his previous solo release.

"I had an absolute blast doing this album, and everyone was so much fun to work with — they were just amazing," Criss told Rolling Stone of the upcoming LP. "I will be doing a more in-depth interview closer to the release date in the fall."

The first details of Criss's new rock solo album were released in April by famed KISStorian Julian Gill, who has been running the KissFAQ.com web site since the mid-1990s.

Criss had previously touched upon a new solo album back in 2014, promising at the time that the LP would be "heavier" than the stuff he had done in the past. Speaking to an audience of fans at a question-and-answer session at the All Things That Rock festival in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Criss stated about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to "One For All": "I've been sitting on a record … I'd done this thing, like, five years ago and I'm still messing with it. I'm not done, because I don't wanna rush it."

Criss revealed at the time that he had been working with John 5, but added: "I wanna take my time with it. I'm constantly putting time into it. I want it to be heavier than I've usually done my stuff, and then I'll get, 'It's too heavy. You should go back and do light stuff.' Because fans are never happy. You guys aren't! No matter what we ever do, you're like, 'Oh, that sucks. I want this.' [Or] 'He's playing that ballad shit again.'"

Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.

In addition to playing drums in KISS, Peter also provided lead vocals for a number the band's most popular and memorable songs, including "Beth", "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman".

Criss, who was known as "Catman," released his last solo CD, titled "One For All", in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night With David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Send In The Clowns".

Criss played what was being billed as his final full U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City.

Peter last appeared onstage with KISS when the group was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014, though he and his former bandmates didn't perform at the event.

On April 25, Criss was presented with the Legacy Award at Raven Drum Foundation's event at New York City's famed Cutting Room.

Criss and the other original members of KISS are slated to receive a Kennedy Center Honor at a December 7 ceremony which will air on December 23 on CBS.

Image courtesy of KissFAQ.com

French progressive metallers GOJIRA recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of their third studio album, "From Mars To Sirius", by performing three of the LP's songs at GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Ridgewood, Queens, New York. Watch video of the session below.

Featured songs:

01. Ocean Planet - 00:00
02. From The Sky - 06:17
03. Where Dragons Dwell - 12:12

Released in September 2005, "From Mars To Sirius" was GOJIRA's third studio album. It is a concept effort addressing environmental issues and the rebirth of a dead planet through a space travel storyline, with the underlying theme of a transition from war to peace. The LP has since been named one of Rolling Stone magazine's" 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time".

At the 2025 edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival in the United Kingdom, GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier spoke to Bloodstock TV's Oran O’Beirne about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to the French progressive metallers' 2021 album "Fortitude". He said:  "We already did record some drums and guitars and basses.

"It took us a long time. We needed that time, I think, just to make sure we are all on the same page, make sure what is GOJIRA is bringing next is strong enough," he explained. "Also, we don't have that much pressure. We are not a young band anymore. We're not like SLEEP TOKEN or LORNA SHORE where the next album is so important. We've been a band for 30 years, so GOJIRA is already an established band. It doesn't mean that we can be lazy — it doesn't mean that — but it's very crucial to take the time to bring something fresh and new and powerful."

Mario added: "For the new songs, we took so much time just to make sure everything is fine and powerful enough and — I don't know — smart enough as well. But it's on the way, it's on the way. 2026, for sure."

More than a year ago, Mario's brother, Joseph Duplantier, told Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights that he and his bandmates were "in the middle" of working on their next studio album. He said at the time: "We're trying to deliver something that is meaningful and impactful. We're very ambitious in terms of writing songs and the quality of it. And we wanna take a clear step forward and upward with this album. So we're putting all our love and energy on it."

This past February, GOJIRA was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, which was held at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, California. GOJIRA was nominated for "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)" — a version of the French Revolution-era standard "Ah! Ça Ira!" — which the band performed at last year's Olympic Games opening ceremony.

In July 2024, GOJIRA performed a surprise rendition of "Ah! Ça Ira" alongside opera singer Marina Viotti as well as a number of beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette. The performance took place outside the Conciergerie, a former prison and residence of French kings during the French Revolution where Antoinette was held before she was beheaded in 1793.

GOJIRA made history as the first metal band to ever perform at the Olympic Games. The performance made international headlines and was widely regarded as one of the most talked about moments from the 2024 summer Olympics.

Prior to winning this year's Grammy, GOJIRA had been nominated for a Grammy Award three times — twice in 2017, for "Best Metal Performance" and "Best Rock Album" ("Magma") and once in 2022 for "Best Metal Performance".

GOJIRA is considered a standard-bearer for French rock and bringing French rock to an international audience. Metal Hammer declared GOJIRA "metal's most important band" in 2016.

"Fortitude" entered Billboard's Top Albums chart at No. 1 in May 2021, while also claiming the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top Current Albums, Current Rock Albums and Current Hard Music Albums tallies. The release also marked a career high debut on the Billboard 200 for GOJIRA, arriving at No. 12, with several career high chart positions and Top 10 debuts in countries around the globe including: France (No. 2),United Kingdom (No. 6),Australia (No. 3),Germany (No. 8),Belgium (No. 2),Netherlands (No. 4),Denmark (No. 3),Portugal (No. 4),Finland (No. 2) and Norway (No. 10).

Furthermore, GOJIRA concluded a month-long fundraising initiative in support of the indigenous-owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, the charitable campaign raised over $300,000 through an auction and raffle of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends in METALLICA, TOOL, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, Slash and more. All proceeds were donated to APIB to support their work aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.

Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),"Fortitude" is GOJIRA's first album in five years and the follow-up to 2016's Grammy-nominated LP "Magma". A collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world and then make it happen, "Fortitude" has been earning widespread critical praise with Rolling Stone naming it one of their best albums of April 2021 and remarking "It's all the rage of death metal mixed with the conscience of punk rock and the musicality of progressive rock." NPR hailed "Another World" as "an apocalyptic banger," and Paste called "Into The Storm" a "much-needed revolutionary anthem." Stereogum declared, "hearing this band operating at their peak is a life-affirming thing," while Revolver attested "Fortitude" "could spark a revolution."

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan says that he and his bandmates will "take quite a bit of time off next year".

The 57-year-old musician made his comments just two days after DISTURBED singer David Draiman wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he wasn't sure when the group would tour again, explaining, "We all need a nice long break."

Earlier today (Friday, October 31),Donegan took to his Instagram Live to reflect on DISTURBED's just-completed European headlining tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's debut album, "The Sickness", with support from MEGADETH. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[We had a] very successful run out there in Europe — packed shows, packed arenas and a bunch of sold-out ones. [We had an] amazing time. The MEGADETH guys were great. Dave Mustaine is a legend. He's got a great band behind him — really cool guys. And, yeah, it was a really fun tour to be on. Everybody was healthy, feeling good. David [Draiman] was singing strong. Sometimes it gets tricky traveling that much and going from country to country to try to stay healthy, being in different time zones, trying to get adjusted to the time change and being on planes and tour buses and all the traveling can get tricky to stay healthy. And luckily everybody did, for the most part. I think we held up pretty good and sounded strong. I think we were playing our best; I think we've gotten better. So it's been an amazing run."

As for DISTURBED's plans for the coming months, Dan said: "We are done [playing shows for now]. We are done with 'The Sickness', done with the anniversary tour. [We'll be] home for the rest of the year, and probably gonna take quite a bit of time off next year. So no discussions of doing anything else. We just feel like we could use a break. It's been a pretty strong run earlier this year. We started in the U.S. and a little bit into Canada and finishing this European run, we just feel we could enjoy some time home. And [we've] got a lot of stuff going on in our personal lives. [We've] got holidays coming up. Unfortunately, a handful of us had some relatives pass away while we were in Europe. So I had an uncle pass away last week. My guitar tech had his father and a cousin, a week apart from each other, both passed away. So those are the things that happen when you live life on tour and on the road. And it's such a heartbreaking thing, to be away from home and you get that kind of phone call when somebody close to you or a family member passes away."

DISTURBED kicked off the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" on February 25 at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho. The trek celebrated 25 years of DISTURBED's seminal debut album which launched the band into public consciousness and is one of the most important and influential heavy metal albums of all time.

Since "The Sickness" was released in 2000, the album was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, spent a total of 106 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart, and Revolver named it one of "Top 25 Debut Hard Rock Albums." Billboard said of the title track upon release: "'Down With The Sickness' is, of course, the quintessential DISTURBED song, harnessing all the band's seethe and its now-famous tribal beat and guitar chug into three and a half minutes of alt-metal mayhem. It's menacing, it's rhythmic, it's rebellious."

In February, DISTURBED released a new single, "I Will Not Break", via the band's own label, Mother Culture Records.

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans DEATH ANGEL have released the official music video for their first new music in six years, a song called "Wrath (Bring Fire)" . The clip, which can be seen below, was filmed by Edgar Salazar during the "Summer Of Wrath Tour 2025" in Europe.

When "Wrath (Bring Fire)" was first made available in May, DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda commented: "'Wrath(Bring Fire)' is the first DEATH ANGEL song featuring the whole band to be released since our 2019 Grammy-nominated album 'Humanicide'. This song was, however, written during the pandemic. I wrote the lyrics and melody to this song in January of 2021. During that time I was, as all of us were, stuck at home lost, angry and very confused. I was also watching way more television than I usually had. One genre being medieval/fantasy shows which were kind of new to me as an adult yet were very popular during that time. Which makes sense in retrospect. We all needed some new forms of escapism from the worldwide hell that we were all going through. That being said, it was partially what inspired these lyrics. An ancient/medieval fantasy end of the world war meets my actual approach in disputes. That can unfortunately, for all involved, turn very ugly if I'm pushed to a certain level or place when I feel I'm being wronged. And, as always for me, pen doesn't hit the paper until I hear the music and that paints a picture and inspires a vision that ends up being my lyrics. And the music Rob [Cavestany, guitar] wrote for this and the fantasy/medieval-based shows I was watching at that time and the personal hell that I was going through, figuring out who the hell I was during that awful time in our collective history and marrying that with my true personal aggressions and fury that I still fight with to this very day when I feel I've been wronged, inspired this song. And it does still happen to me, and I'm sure all of us. It definitely still happens to me to this very day. Sometimes it still does, by those that are supposed to be closest to me that think they must be more clever than me when in actuality they are just deceitful and so easily read.

"Well, for those of you who can relate to this subject, which I assume is most of us, this song is for you. Because if you are foolish enough to try to take advantage of me once or continually — to quote Al Capone: 'Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weakness is not what you are going to remember about me.' That being said, when I come, I'll bring FIRE!!"

As previously reported, DEATH ANGEL will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its "Act III" album by performing it in its entirety on a fall 2025 U.S. tour. The trek, which will feature support from VIO-LENCE (replacing originally announced support act TOXIC HOLOCAUST),LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE, will kick off on November 26 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado and wrap with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

In March 2024, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar told El Planeta Del Rock that there were "a bunch of songs, a lot of skeletons" for the band's next album. "We spent the first three months of this year writing. We didn't do any activity — just writing… There's a bunch of skeletons, as we call it. There's a lot of ideas that we're waiting for [singer] Mark to put some vocals on."

Osegueda is the featured singer on SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Earlier in March 2024, Osegueda told El Planeta Del Rock about the songwriting process for DEATH ANGEL's next LP: "It's going great. And we're excited about it."

In a separate interview with Elevar, Cavestany confirmed that new DEATH ANGEL music was in the works. "I don't like divulging the 'play by play'; I'd rather news came out when there is substantial information to speak of," he explained. "That being said, I can tell you there are around seven songs we are currently working on and I'm currently getting deep into the writing zone, which is my happy place. If we can manage to stop saying yes to every tour offer (we love to tour),then maybe we can finally get this new album done."

Also in March 2024, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll said that he was "stoked" about how the band's new music was shaping up. "The creative juices are flowing and things are moving along at a very productive rate," he wrote on social media.

He added: "I can't wait for the DA fans around the world to hear this new material and hopefully we'll make some new ones along the way. Exciting times indeed."

In January 2024, Will said that he and his DEATH ANGEL bandmates were "hard at work getting" the band's next album "written and completely demo'd."

"It felt good to get back to work with Rob Cavestany," Will wrote. "It's a real challenge to not rehash the same ideas and beats from previous albums but I think so far things are sounding fresh and inspired."

In July 2024, Aguilar told Vikram Chandrasekar about the band's songwriting process: "Well, when it comes down to writing, it's all Rob. It's all Rob. It starts with him. He comes up with a basic structure and him and Will get together and they hash it all out and they record it. And when they get it to a point where, 'Oh, yeah, this is great,' then they send it off to everyone else. And Damien does his parts and Mark will listen to it and try to write lyrics and melodies. And I'll listen to it and I'll touch base with Rob: 'What do you want me to do here? Do you want me to play something here? Or do you want me to do something different?' 'Cause Rob has a vision and you kind of wanna see his vision. And as soon as the song comes together to where we play it quite a few times, then we could throw in our ideas, like, 'Hey, maybe that part should be a little longer,' or, 'Maybe cut that out,' or Will will go, 'I wanna do something different here instead.' So, you know, Rob has a vision, we listen, we play along with it. Then if we feel like there needs to be changes, we express our concern, and Rob is really good at, 'Yeah, let's give it a try.' So we try everything. And it comes down to, 'All right, this is what works.' So it starts with Rob. And with regarding the lyrics, every now and then Rob will pick out a song: 'I wanna write lyrics for this song.' And Mark goes, 'Go ahead.' But Mark writes all the lyrics, and what he does is with the music, he'll listen to it over and over by himself. I don't know where he goes. He goes into the far corners of the earth by himself, with the headphones and music, and he'll come up with so many types of different melodies and stuff, and then come up with the ones he's happy with and lay it down on the demo form. Then when we get into the real studio, then things start to evolve 'cause we've played it so many times or we listened to it so many times that when we get in there, [we go], 'All right, let's try this.' It's always evolving to the point where it's handing it in to get mastered. Some songs stay kind of the same from what it was, but we just put more energy into it. Some songs have been rewritten quite a few times, so it differs. Rob's the songwriter, and on the last album I wrote one song. Yeah, it's how it is. And right now I'm writing some stuff, and how it goes is I'll write some stuff, I'll send it to Rob. I always tell him, 'If it's good, use it. If not, if you find parts are good, use it. If it's not good, it's okay, dude.' I'm just throwing some stuff out there, 'cause he knows what the DEATH ANGEL sound should be. And if he likes it, he'll use it. If he doesn't, my feelings are not broken."

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

Released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast, "Humanicide" saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

In a new interview with Teresa Robinson of New Mexico Entertainment, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked what is next for him and his bandmates after the completion of their recent North American tour with Alice Cooper. Richie responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a good question. We've always got something bubbling under the surface going on, and we always try and think about what's coming up after this. There's a few things I'm not sure if I can say [what they are] or not, but we've talked about whether we are gonna do album number 20. Is that gonna happen or not? Or, have got any ideas for that sort of stuff? We've done a lot of touring over the last couple of years, so maybe it's time to look at the studio stuff and see where we go from there."

He continued: "One thing I do know is that I joined [JUDAS PRIEST] on [what was supposed to be] the [band's] farewell tour and I'm still here 15 years later, so it doesn't stop. It doesn't stop. That I do know. I know it's usually album, tour, album, tour, album, tour — that seems to be the pattern — so, historically, if that tells you anything, there's usually another album somewhere. But we'll see."

Asked what he would like his personal legacy to be, Faulkner said: "That's a very good question. I think all you can do is your best. And I think the people decide what your legacy is… I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I'm touring and writing music with JUDAS PRIEST, one of the biggest heavy metal bands, most influential heavy metal bands in the world. So, fortunately, people are listening to stuff that I'm doing and the band are doing in 2025. That's legacy enough — just being a part of that legacy is enough for me."

Produced by Live Nation, PRIEST's 22-city tour with Alice Cooper kicked off September 16 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi, with stops in Toronto, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping October 26 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas.

PRIEST was touring in support of its latest album, "Invincible Shield", which entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" was JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia

During the European leg of JUDAS PRIEST's "Shield Of Pain" tour, the band's setlist included seven tracks from PRIEST's 1990 album "Painkiller", which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

In addition to performing the "Painkiller" title track, PRIEST played "All Guns Blazing", "Hell Patrol", "A Touch Of Evil", "Night Crawler", "One Shot At Glory" and "Between The Hammer And The Anvil" from the same LP.

When PRIEST first announced the "Shield Of Pain" tour last fall, the band promised a "rare" and "unique set" which would include "beloved classics" and would "be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe".

In a rare new interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern", legendary DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore paid tribute to British guitar icon Jeff Beck, who died nearly three years ago. Ritchie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " Jeff was a great guitar player. That was a big blow, him going, I mean, he was vegetarian and he didn't take drugs particularly or anything. I was very shocked to hear about him dying that way. That was terrible."

Blackmore added: "He had a very special way of playing. It was so different from anybody. I always used to go and see him play, because I found him very refreshing. And he would always put himself down. I'd say, 'How is your latest record, Jeff?' And he'd go, 'Oh, it's a lot of rubbish.' And he would always say that about anything he put out. He was always reaching for something he couldn't find."

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, who rose to prominence with THE YARDBIRDS, died "suddenly" on January 10, 2023 after contracting bacterial meningitis, his representative said.

Two days after Beck's passing, Ritchie took to his social media to write: "First met Jeff Beck around 64-65 and it was a session where we were both playing guitars and Jimmy Page was producing. I couldn't believe how incredible he was, not only with his technique but his sound too. I became a fan of his ever since. He could reach up into the stars and make magic with his playing. His choice of notes were always absolutely perfect.

"This whole thing is a shock. We shall always remember Jeff as the best rock and roll player."

Having cultivated one of the most influential careers in rock history, Beck was universally acknowledged as one of the most talented and significant guitarists in the world, and has played alongside some of the greatest artists of rock, blues and jazz.

Over the course of his distinguished 50-plus-year music career, he had earned an incredible eight Grammy Awards, been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time," and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice — once as a member of THE YARDBIRDS and again as a solo artist. In the summer of 2016, the guitar virtuoso celebrated his five decades of music with an extraordinary concert at the famous Hollywood Bowl.

Speaking when he was inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the second time in 2009, Beck said: "I play the way I do because it allows me to come up with the sickest sounds possible. That's the point now, isn't it? I don't care about the rules. In fact, if I don't break the rules at least 10 times in every song, then I'm not doing my job properly."

Beck famously replaced Eric Clapton as THE YARDBIRDS' lead guitarist in 1965 and later went on to form THE JEFF BECK GROUP, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. Their two albums — "Truth" (1968) and "Beck-Ola" (1969) — would become musical touchstones for hard rockers in the years to come.

The constantly evolving Beck's next move — a power trio with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, which released "Beck, Bogert And Appice" (1973),once again shattered people's preconceptions of what a rock guitarist was supposed to sound like.

1985's "Flash" kept Beck in the spotlight as he earned the "Best Rock Instrumental" Grammy for the song "Escape". A second Grammy came with Jeff Beck's "Guitar Shop" with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas, and a third for "Dirty Mind" from the "You Had It Coming" album in 2001. 2009 saw the release of the platinum-selling "Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott's", which earned a Grammy for "A Day In The Life".

Beck's astonishing 2010 solo album, "Emotion & Commotion", brought about two additional Grammy Awards; Beck was nominated in five categories before bringing home three: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for "Hammerhead" and "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for "Nessun Dorma", both from "Emotion & Commotion", and "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals" for "Imagine", his collaboration with Herbie Hancock.

His "Rock 'N' Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul)" album was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". In 2016 he released "Loud Hailer" and in 2017 "Jeff Beck: Live At The Hollywood Bowl" was released, both to widespread critical acclaim.

CATEGORY 7, the new band featuring former MACHINE HEAD and current KERRY KING guitarist Phil Demmel, ex-ADRENALINE MOB guitarist Mike Orlando, ARMORED SAINT/ex-ANTHRAX singer John Bush, SHADOWS FALL/ex-OVERKILL drummer Jason Bittner and EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson, played its second-ever concert last night (Thursday, October 30) at Piper's Pub in Pompano Beach, Florida. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be seen below.

CATEGORY 7 made its live debut on June 30 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Last December, CATEGORY 7 canceled its previously announced first-ever U.S. tour in support of its self-titled debut album. The 14-show trek was scheduled to launch on March 6, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland and run through March 23, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. CATEGORY 7 was also scheduled to embark on its first-ever South American tour in early July 2025, but that trek was scrapped in June, with the cancelation blamed on "non-compliance of the contract at some points, combined with low ticket sales."

When the CATEGORY 7 U.S. tour cancelation was first announced nearly a year ago, the band said in a statement: "With the overwhelming competition for the live show dollar, we feel that our projected ticket sales will not be enough for our tour to be profitable, so we have made the painful decision to cancel our tour in March.

"The cost of touring continues to go up and while we had no illusion of big profits, at least breaking even was a goal which after speaking to our agent and the promoters of the shows did not seem achievable.

"We appreciate everyone that is enjoying our music, and we will continue to attempt to find a way to bring the live show on the road.

"Thank you again for the support for CATEGORY 7."

CATEGORY 7's self-titled debut album was released on July 26, 2024 via Metal Blade Records.

With veteran musicians from so many legendary bands, it's hard not to think of CATEGORY 7 as a supergroup.

"I think we're pretty super," joked Demmel, who has also earned mega-metal cred over the decades as a member of VIO-LENCE and has played as a fill-in road guitarist for SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, OVERKILL and others. "Really, I feel like this is a band, not a side project. And I feel like we have written this incredible piece of music, and we're not done. I'm so proud of the way this came together and the people who were involved. And I think we all feel super positive about this and what else we can do with it going forward."

The songs on the band's self-titled debut speak for themselves. As crushing and confrontational as an armed rebellion, as rhythmically thunderous as a storm of golf ball-sized hail, and as fiercely melodic as infectious riffs and aggressive vocals can be, CATEGORY 7 is a new breed of metal that lives up to the storied histories of its members. They're as heavy as a battleship, yet the songs are meticulously structured, skillfully balancing thrash beats, New Wave Of British Heavy Metal rhythms, punk metal attitude, blistering and ferocious dual guitar work, and scar-inflicting vocals.

"It's all about big verses and big songs, and it has a lot of the elements we've explored in our other bands," explained guitarist and main songwriter Mike Orlando (ADRENALINE MOB, SONIC UNIVERSE, NOTURNALL).

Take the upbeat album opener "In Stitches", which starts with piledriving double-bass drums, a feral thrash passage, and a fiery lead before toning down just enough for the distinctive vocals to stand out.

"It gets heavy, it's thrashy at times, but it opens up in the verses, and then the double-bass drums come in and knock you off your chair, but in a great way," Orlando said.

Bush further elaborated, "I read an article on an unhoused pregnant woman named Stitches who resided in Los Angeles obviously living a very difficult life that was compounded by mental illness and drug abuse. The encampment situation in my beloved city drives me bats. I balance between serious empathy and complete anger. The combination of imagining her life as well as my own internal turmoil led me to an almost humorous insanity state while writing this scathing album opener."

"Land I Used To Love" is slightly slower and more melodic, with guitar chords that complement the harmonized vocals and a searing guitar fill over the chorus that ups the temperature on the molten riffage. Then there's the propulsive, piledriver "Exhausted", which features blazing guitar licks, a punchy riff, and hammering thrash beats that climax with another unforgettable chorus.

The album closes with the explosive eight-minute instrumental, "Etter Stormen", in which Orlando and Demmel engage in a contest of dueling guitar leads over volleys of battering beats and riffs that see-saw between pounding metal and whiplash-inducing thrash.

CATEGORY 7, named after the numerical designation for the most powerful wind storms, came together from a batch of musicians who strived to play music they loved and weren't hearing elsewhere, and wanted to do so with bandmates they enjoyed being with. Orlando and Demmel became friends after taking part in a batch of tributes to the late OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Randy Rhoads. The seeds of CATEGORY 7 were then cemented one night a couple years later when Orlando went to hang out at the Clifton, New Jersey metal club Dingbatz as Demmel was filling in on lead guitar for OVERKILL, which also featured SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner.

"We were hanging out and tearing it up, and between beers we were like, 'Hey, we need to do something,'" recalls Demmel. "We need to write some new music. We've got three-fifths of a band here. Let's get together and do some songs."

Since OVERKILL was practicing in New Jersey for a couple days before launching a tour, Demmel and Bittner were hanging out in the area. So, the day after the Dingbatz conversation, the guitarist got back in touch with Orlando, and the two decided to get together after the show and jam to see if their playing styles meshed.

"We just started throwing around some riffs, and it was pretty incredible, but different," Orlando said. "We immediately clicked together as writers. And to me, it was such a joy because the bands I have been in have always been just one guitar player. I never had a partner. So, to have a dude I liked, who plays really well, to bounce ideas around with was freaking awesome."

"Mike had this idea of doing stuff that was a little more mainstream than the heavier stuff that I've done. But we didn't want anything to sound contrived," added Demmel. "So, the first thing we did had all these different parts and crazy tempos and it kind of sounded like RACER X-meets-PANTERA. But we liked it and had fun doing it, so it was a great start."

Added Bittner: "The funniest part about that was me and Phil were rehearsing for OVERKILL in New Jersey, and I had no idea I was two rooms over from you writing this song. So, after we practiced for five hours you guys worked on a song for another two hours. I couldn't believe that. And I went, 'Okay, next time you guys do something, count me in.'"

As a staple of the Bay Area thrash scene, EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson was the natural choice to expand CATEGORY 7, and he was intrigued by the idea of stepping into a new pair of shoes. "When I first heard the song they did, I really liked that it was heavy and melodic, which is very different than the stuff I play with EXODUS, which is very rhythmic and chromatic," he said.

By far, the greatest challenge for CATEGORY 7 was finding the right singer. Not that the members couldn't agree on who they wanted. They all wanted ARMORED SAINT and ex-ANTHRAX vocalist John Bush; there wasn't even a second option. But getting him to agree to join the band was an exercise in patience and persuasion. When he was invited to join CATEGORY 7, Bush wanted to hear the band's music. But the only song they had recorded was the RACER X-meets-PANTERA-style instrumental, which they feared wasn't going to vibe with Bush's interest or ability. So, they put a couple more demos together, which were far more melodic, and they sent them to Bush, then waited on tenterhooks for him to get back to them.

"I listened to the music they sent me, and I was like, "Wow, this is pretty scathing stuff,'" Bush recalled. "It's awesome, but the question was, what could I do with it vocally that would fit? As Jason said, 'These guys are riff maniacs.' So, I wasn't totally sure right away that I was the right guy for it. But I started tinkering around with it and writing, and, to my satisfaction, everything came out relatively easy."

With Bush onboard, CATEGORY 7 went into overdrive. Now that they had a vocalist locked in, they were able to structure the songs to work with his melodic vocal style. Orlando worked separately and then together, assembling dynamic riffs and rhythms that peaked in complexity and heaviness during the intros, midsections and outros, and settled into a sparser, more melodic pocket for the verses and choruses.

"There was a cognizant effort to give the verses some space and to let John create his vocal melodies for them and the choruses," Demmel said. "Because he's the 'Bush hooks man.'"

CATEGORY 7 quickly realized the best way for Orlando and Demmel to combine their considerable talents as songwriters was for Orlando to write the skeletons for the tunes and have Demmel contribute fills, middle eight sections and leads. For Orlando, writing for the band became far easier once he had a vocalist in mind for his songs.

"When John Bush entered the picture, I knew who I was writing for and that helped me immensely," he said. "I wasn't just writing for the sake of writing; I was writing parts specifically for John Bush to sing. That was great for me not only because gave me a goal to strive for, but because, as a fan of John Bush's vocals for decades in ARMORED SAINT and ANTHRAX, it was exciting to know he was gonna be on these songs."

Even though CATEGORY 7 purposely wrote songs that gave Bush the room he needed to make the material shine, they stopped short of writing together anything that sounded like the bands Bush was best known for. That left Bush filtering through the complex rhythms and sometimes unconventional melodies to find the right spots in which to sing and the tone for those passages. While the work was sometimes challenging, it was equally rewarding and imbued songs like "Land I Used to Love", "Exhausted" and "Through Pink Eyes", with urgency and immediacy.

"Working on these songs opened up a big part of my brain to just be real creative," Bush said. "It all came out sounding very fresh and new. And it was really liberating for me because I was able to open up a whole new door for myself. Because working with these guys was just different than what I've done before because they're different people and the way they write, the way they create, and the way they play is new for me. And that compelled me to gravitate to what they were doing, which created this fresh sound that's unlike anything I've done or heard."

Bush also entered new territory with his lyrics. While he has addressed current events and the downfall of society in the past, with CATEGORY 7 he wrote about the desperation that pervades society and the destructive divide that has evolved and separated people for decades but is now worse than ever. As much as anything, Bush wanted songs like "White Flags & Bayonets", "In Stitches" and "Land I Used To Love" to inspire thought while being open to interpretation.

"I just say it's social commentary, man," Bush said. "There's a slew of information there to choose from and it's all in there. Obviously, every single day you could wake up and check out the news and have conversations with people and friends and feel a lot of the way I did when I was writing these songs. So, I just ran with that. But there's a certain ambiguity to some of the lyrics because I don't want to spell out exactly what these songs are about because they could be about a lot of things. And I want people to use their imagination. I want to touch on all these particular topics and scenarios that feel very current without telling people what they need to think."

CATEGORY 7 started working together on March 2023. During the months that followed, Orlando and Demmel wrote on a regular basis, and during the pre-production stage, Bittner recorded drums to the tracks at his home studio. When he sent them back to the guitarists, they would send him the next batch of songs to work on. Not only did Bittner bring on the kind of technical drum skills he has exhibited in SHADOWS FALL and OVERKILL, he went above and beyond, injecting a tumbling, barreling feel into the variegated songs.

"Jason is not only technically incredible, his parts are musical, and his feel is musical," Orlando said. "He's the ideal drummer for this band because he exudes this fire and passion which I love because that's the only way I play guitar."

Bush started recording his vocals after Orlando, Bittner and Gibson laid down all their tracks at Orlando's recording facility, Sonic Stomp Studios, where he produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the album. With the songs in their final form, it was just a matter of fine-tuning a mix here or overdubbing a part there. And Orlando had almost as much fun finishing the album as he did writing it.

"One thing I love to do is to be able to take the guitar player hat off and become the producer and studio guy," he said. "And it was easy with these guys because we all had the same vision, and we were so prepared. But it took a little bit of tinkering because I wanted this album to sound big - not in the sense of overly produced but big in a way that it knocks you out of your shoes and off your feet. And we all wanted the same thing, so there was no conflict whatsoever."

In the end, CATEGORY 7 created an album that is fresh and familiar. The mixture of NWOBHM, thrash, punk-metal and traditional metal is cohesive and sonically rewarding, establishing an eclectic musical backdrop for Bush's instantly identifiable vocals. At the same time, the diversity of styles creates its own template that's ideal for headbanging, moshing, and voluble sing-alongs.

"I think the sound of this band really comes down to the odd connection that all of us have," Bittner said. "We've known each other for years as friends and peers. And we've all looked up to each other and know that one day we'd have to work together. It's taken almost two decades for that to happen, but lo and behold, once it did there was no stopping us."

"Category 7" features art and layout by Carlos Fides at Artside Studio (ANGRA, EVERGREY, KAMELOT). The record is available on CD and digital formats as well as several vinyl color variants.

Posted by Piper's Pub on Tuesday, May 6, 2025

In a new interview with the 100 Words Or Less podcast, RISE AGAINST frontman Tim McIlrath spoke about how he injects political activism into his songwriting. Regarding how he navigates the fact that not everybody who listens to RISE AGAINST's music agrees with his political views, Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's that 16-year-old me that doesn't mind making people a little uncomfortable… I'm not that person today, but that kid still exists in me. And so it makes me not care too much about the friction that I create. And not in a mean or confrontational way — I just know that that's where change happens, in that friction, that you gotta be a little confrontational, you have to create a little bit of friction. And I also feel like we've been given this huge opportunity to play for a crowd that's bigger than the Fireside Bowl [venue in Chicago]. And so there's a lot of responsibility, like, 'Hey, you guys made it out of this scene, and now you're in this bigger scene. So, tell them. Tell them what we talk about. Talk about environmentalism. Talk about sweatshops and fair labor. Talk about animal rights.' You now have a bigger microphone, a bigger bullhorn. You're doing it. So how could I leave that behind? How can I just drop that all of a sudden, just to get a few more smiling faces and thumbs up from a gen pop crowd of people who listen to everything and are unfamiliar with my scene. And so we're a package deal. [Laughs] We come with that baggage, and you're gonna get it in the song and on the stage and whatever else.

"And so does it ever bother me? Do I ever like lament? I want everyone to love what we're doing," he continued. "But it doesn't bother me in the sense that, like, there's nothing I can do about it. This is who I am. It's, like, take it or leave it.

"You can't ask me to disown my politics any more than you can ask me to disown my family," Tim added. "There's not a price tag on that. I understand what you're asking, but you understand I'm unable to accommodate that request. So, sorry. And if anything, [RISE AGAINST's sociopolitical messages are] part of who we are as a band and why you know who we are as a band. They're part of our DNA and our identity. If people gravitated towards our music and our band, there's something about what we do that made that happen. So even if you wanna talk about it as, as strictly a commercial decision, it will be bad to take this out. We're leaving this in. It makes sense on no level to all of a sudden strip a band of its personality."

Earlier this year, Tim told Sophie Dobschall of the Eyes Closed blog and Messed!Up Magazine that he wants people to "walk away feeling hope" after listening to RISE AGAINST's music. "The way I look at songs, as a songwriter, is that RISE AGAINST is a band that, like maybe many other bands, we are writing a song and we might take you to a dark place, we might bring you down into this dark cave and show you problems and conflict and sadness and that kind of thing, and then maybe where we're different, or I hope we are at least, is that before that song is over, I hope that there's a trail of breadcrumbs that will lead you out of it. We're not gonna leave you in the dark. We want you to see the underbelly, we want you to see the problems of the world and society and the human condition, but, at the same time, because I think, as a songwriter, I do feel real hope and a lot of our fans give me that hope, I wanna make sure the song is laced with that hope as well. And so by the end of it, it's, like, yes, these are problems, but they're not something we haven't seen before and not something that we can't tackle and not something that we can't get through."

He continued: "So living in a moment — right now we're watching this rise of a radical right wing sort of ideology sort of consuming the planet. That's something RISE AGAINST has spoken about since our inception. We're not a band that veered into politics late in our career; we're a band that came out of the gates with politics. And so I think we've been unapologetic about our position. And I think what I'm focused on now is sort of reminding people the punk and hardcore values that exist in a band like ours have always been anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic. Punk has been pro science, punk has been pro truth and pro facts. And there is some of that that that gets twisted in the world we live in nowadays with disinformation and lack of critical thinking, or just really misinformed critical thinking that turns into conspiracy theories. As a band now, I think our mission is to kind of remind people that there's a lot of different people out there trying to pull you into their revolution. But if that revolution, if there are elements of racism and sexism and homophobia in that revolution, that's something that punk and hardcore has always rejected. And that's a good way to find out if you are in some sort of bullshit revolution or going down the wrong path. And that's something that we'll just kind of continue to sing about."

When Dobschall noted that she "having a really hard time right now being hopeful," Tim said: "I think that's normal. I think that there's stress and anxiety in turning on the news these days, especially for somebody who cares about people and cares about the direction of the planet. And so, yeah, there are moments that I think that we are going to feel a lot of anxiety, and this is when we double down. This is when we put up a fight.

"I think I look at it as sometimes things have to get really bad for us to shake ourselves out of the sort of apathy, and I think there was a lot of apathy that allowed the White House to turn into what it has turned into," Tim explained. "I think the silver lining is that I think that we're going to expose what a radical right really looks like and what they really want, something that they've been good at kind of keeping secret, but now the secret's kind of out and we're seeing all these sort of racist and sexist underpinnings to the policies. And I think people are good and they're going to reject that, when they get a chance to reject that. And in the meantime, we get to see on full display how backwards, how anti-science and anti-fact like a lot of these ideologies are. And that's something that I hope is one of the silver linings in this."

RISE AGAINST's first new album in four years, "Ricochet", came out on August 15 via Loma Vista Recordings.

In a new interview with author/journalist Joel Gausten, BIOHAZARD drummer Danny Schuler spoke about the status of the long-in-the-works documentary about the band, which is being helmed by renowned film and video director Drew Stone. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Well, first of all, we have a long history with Drew Stone. Drew is a great archivist of our history and just hardcore history, music history. He's always been around with a camera in his hand. He's always been a very charismatic kind of interviewer kind of guy. He's always put himself in situations to capture unique things, and he was around us a lot in the early part of our career. And so I don't think we could make a documentary without involving Drew Stone. He was there for so many of the crucial moments in the history of the band along the way, he would have to be involved."

Elaborating on how the idea for the documentary came about, Danny said: "A while ago we had the idea of doing something. Drew has all the footage, and it was just, like, 'Hey, man, let's do this.' So we started putting it together, and it's still a work in progress. We wanna make something that's really comprehensive, really covering the history of the band. It's been since the late 1980s, so there's a lot of history to cover. And we were lucky enough to have Drew there for a lot of it in the beginning. So there's a ton of footage. He's got everything. So, one day it's gonna come out. I don't know when exactly, but hopefully soon. But it's gonna happen — it's gonna happen, for sure. I just don't know when it's gonna happen. But we're excited. We filmed a lot of new footage for it also, some really cool interview footage. We went back to [legendary New York club] L'Amours in Brooklyn and sat on the steps and had a talk there. And it's gonna come out. It's gonna be good. If you're a BIOHAZARD fan, it'll be a cool thing and a good chronicle of our history… I mean, we were kind of getting close to it being finished and then some things came up, but I think it's gonna get done soon — sooner rather than later."

Schuler previously discussed the BIOHAZARD documentary in a February 2024 interview with "That Fuzzing Rock Show". He said at the time: "Well, it's not finished. The documentary is not finished. Our old friend Drew Stone, who's really been there since almost the beginning with us and has always been filming shit, is producing and directing and editing a documentary film about BIOHAZARD — about our history and about coming back together And I don't think anybody's really being tight-lipped about it, but it's not finished, so there's nothing to really talk about until it gets there. But, yeah, up in Albany, at the Extreme Music Awards, he played a little trailer that he came up with, and when I saw him last week when we played down in Baltimore, he actually played me a 75- or 100-minute cut of the film. So I just saw it for the first time myself and it's in a very raw kind of form. But there's a lot of great old shit in there — a lot of great old stuff. A lot of great new stuff — a lot of funny, cool, insightful, interesting interviews and good stuff. It's gonna be a cool thing.

"I don't know how to really feel about a movie being made about us," he continued. "To me, I kind of feel like who's gonna give a shit about that? But seeing it, sitting down and watching it, I was, like, 'Fuck man.' There's like 35 years of history here. There's a lot. How do you even make a movie about all those years?

"I watched the AGNOSTIC FRONT movie, 'The Godfathers Of Hardcore', which was so well done and so awesome. But even with them, you're talking about 40 years, 40-something years of guys playing. How do you make a little hour-and-a-half movie? They did an amazing job on that.

"But the BIOHAZARD thing, it's gonna be a look back at the history of the band and kind of telling the story of how things went wrong and some of the fucked up shit, and then kind of how it came back together and how we are now. I mean, for a fan, I think it's gonna be cool."

"Divided We Fall", BIOHAZARD's first studio album in over a decade, will arrive on October 17 via BLKIIBLK. The recording sessions for the LP took place at Shorefire Recording Studios in Long Branch, New Jersey and The Hydeaway in Van Nuys, California, with engineering by Joseph DeMaio and additional recording from Matt Hyde. Guitar and production tech duties were handled by Phil Caivano.

BIOHAZARD has released four singles from "Divided We Fall" so far: "Forsaken", "F**k the System", "Eyes On Six" and "Death Of Me".

The first show from the reunited classic lineup of BIOHAZARD — Schuler, guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel and bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld — took place in May 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

As previously reported, BIOHAZARD will team up with the American hip-hop group ONYX for a North American tour this fall.

Photo credit: Jeremy Deputat

In a new interview with the Mind Behind The Music podcast, DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce spoke about the possibility of one day releasing a solo album as well as his desire to pursue other side projects. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, at some point, time permitting, [I would like to do that, but it's] all things DROWNING POOL right now. I'm talking later on, if we take a break or something like that and I have that kind of time on my hands, I would get into that. But there's a project I've been working on called AS ABOVE / SO BELOW with my brother. We started that in 2012, and I have a whole full-length record written and done with them. I have a few little things left to do on it, but with COVID happening, everybody had to disband and do their own thing. And now that I'm back here, it's all things DROWNING POOL, man. The last two and a half years has just been go, go, go. So those guys kind of reformed into a band called ANEMIC, and it's all the guys in that band. So they're doing their own stuff now. I would love to put that out at some point and have the time to play, 'cause my brother sings — my brother and I sing in the band together, my brother Jacob Pierce. And the stuff he's doing now is great, 'cause they're writing new songs and doing their own thing. So I love that they're doing that, because they didn't wanna play AS ABOVE / SO BELOW shows unless I'm in the band with them playing it; they didn't wanna get somebody to fill in. Working with [the other] guitar player Maxx [Chandler], he's amazing and we play a lot off each other. So it's fun to have a two-guitar-player band and do two different things. I just don't have that kind of time at all right now. The focus is, obviously, with DROWNING POOL. But that would be fun to finish that."

He continued: "I [also] have a project called ELECTRIC VELVET with my wife that we do. Right now we're doing a handful of cover tunes. When I have any kind of free time, that's our date night: 'Let's go out and play some songs at the local club down the street.' But we have original stuff as well. So I'm looking forward to getting that out, 'cause my wife's got a very unique, awesome voice. And we sing together. So it's cool. We do a lot of A PERFECT CIRCLE and TOOL covers as well. I think people trip out on that. But singing that style of stuff together is really cool."

Over the course of the last year, DROWNING POOL has released two new singles — "Madness", which came out in April, and "Revolution (The Final Amen)", which arrived in September 2024. "Revolution (The Final Amen)" was the first piece of music Pierce, DROWNING POOL drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton completed with singer Ryan McCombs in 13 years.

It was reported last month that DROWNING POOL was working on a brand-new EP set for release in 2026 via SBG Records. This project will mark the next chapter in the band's legacy as they gear up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their landmark debut album, "Sinner".

Since its release in 2001, "Sinner" has become a defining record in modern rock, featuring the anthemic hit "Bodies", which remains a cultural staple across radio, sports arenas, and entertainment to this day. With the 25-year milestone approaching, DROWNING POOL is ready to honor their history while pushing their sound forward.

This past April, Pierce confirmed to Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series that DROWNING POOL is planning to tour in 2026 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of "Sinner", which was certified platinum within six weeks of its release in 2001, while the CD's first single, "Bodies", was one of the most frequently aired videos on MTV by a new act.

After the release of "Sinner", DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, DROWNING POOL's original vocalist Dave "Stage" Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.

In a new interview with Mexico's Heavy Mextal, AVATAR vocalist Johannes Eckerström was asked what means music to him in the context of his life. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It means more than I could put my words on. I think the thing is, okay, we got lucky in AVATAR. We worked hard, yes, but a lot of bands work hard. But we got lucky, so we get to call this our livelihood now. But I think we would've kept doing this no matter what. I truly believe that even if no one cared, we would've kept on caring. It would've been the end of us, because I don't know if we would ever figure out how to stop."

He continued: "I'm just grateful 'cause I have had… Through the years I made my living in other ways, and my day job was always working with people, to some degree. I would work with children, I would work in schools, I would work at camps with kids with special needs. I would work in elderly care, so I would always work with… I would always change diapers in various ages and I always worked close to people. And in those jobs, I also used music a lot. And I think that's the thing always, when people ask me for advice when it comes to, 'Okay, I'm pursuing music,' and I think, for the sake of having a career, that advice is 'never stop'. But also, if it's not your career, I still say 'never stop' because it's such a gift in and of itself where, really, what I get out of music, because I got lucky and my band, I get to go on a plane and fly to Mexico [to play there with AVATAR at the end of October] and there will be thousands of Mexicans there losing their shit together with us. Of course that's amazing, but it's such a tiny part of what it's really about. 'Cause then sometimes — I don't know — you meet your family and you have a fire going and you sit in a circle and there's acoustic guitar and you sing all those songs you sang 10 years ago and 20 years ago and there's that connection, the communal part of it and the creative outlet."

Johannes added: "Before I knew how to play a piano, 'cause my family, they bought an electric piano and I was playing with it before I knew how to play it, I found the C and the E sounded good together and something was going on. And that playfulness and that outlet, that I would make music with friends also when I was eight years old, a childhood friend of mine, he, on his computer, had a program where you could write the notes in and make MIDI music. So it was always there, always a part, always something I would play with as a child, something I would use in other jobs than being a musician, something that I will do recreationally and all of that. So it's hard to put into words exactly what it means because it ended up being such a humongous part of my being and my everyday life inside and outside of the band."

AVATAR will release its tenth studio album, "Don't Go In The Forest", on October 31 via Black Waltz Records.

Eckerström explained in a statement that the LP is "filled to the brim with stuff we've never done before. It's all songs and concepts we haven't been close to touch until now," he said. "The mind is wild and we have lost ourselves in the darkest woods, filled with memories, and fantasies. Forbidden thoughts that must be spoken."

AVATAR will embark on a U.S. tour this fall with support from ALIEN WEAPONRY and SPIRITWORLD. Additionally, there are forthcoming tours supporting IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA, along with the band's biggest show ever in Mexico City.